Flowers Will Bloom
by CrypticMoonFang
Summary: Sam is raped; now more than ever she needs the comfort and support of her friends. Plus, there's a little surprise inside for the readers. DannyxSam Flames not accepted! First DP story.
1. Chapter 1

~Chapter 1~

The first chilling wind of Autumn sent shivers racking throughout Sam's body. She ignored her parents' advice to wear a jacket; now she was paying the price. The breeze was crisp and cool, and quite refreshing. Even the scent of the air seemed to change. Falling leaves left traces of bright reds and yellows all around the trees from which they fell. Few of them were brown; it was only the beginning of the season, after all.

As she rounded a corner, she felt a strange sensation, as if someone was watching her. Figuring it was simply Danny trying to pull a prank on her, she shouted, "Danny, I know you're there!"

Only a few rustling leaves replied to her. If it wasn't Danny, maybe it was Tucker... "Tucker! Is that you?"

This time, not even the leaves would speak back. Nothing moved. It as as if the entire world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen that, for once, wasn't its doing. The wind wouldn't blow, the leaves wouldn't budge, even the brick buildings seemed more lifeless than ever.

Not normally one to be scared by silence or stillness, the teen shrugged it off as nothing and continued walking down the sidewalk. A dead leaf was gently whisked up by a whistling gale. This caught her attention somewhat, but she didn't even glance in that direction. Instead, she put her hands behind her head and yawned, beat from a long day of school.

A twig snapping, however, ushered her to stop and look. There was nothing there. Only two insects crawling leisurely across the cream-colored pavement, probably to escape the frigid air.

She cast a cynical glance, her imagination starting to wander about, trying to distinguish what had caused the twig to break. Two insects surely couldn't have done it; it would've taken something alot heavier. Eventually, she thought nothing of it and assumed its weight had been too much for it to support.

She turned back around and resumed walking home.

But as soon as she was five feet away from the insects, a dark shadow loomed over her. It wasn't the shadow of tree, it was a person. A hand slapped itself over her mouth, preventing a scream from escaping.

Instinctively, her hand reached to try to pry the larger hand off. Fear and adrenaline started take over, and she kicked and struggled. An arm, one that didn't belong to the appendage covering her face, slipped itself around her stomach and she became physically restricted as a result.

A man's deep voice soon followed the actions, "Quit squirming, and I might let you live."

Ignoring the threat, she licked the man's palm and jerked her head sideways, her lips now slippery enough to escape. "DANNY!" she screamed.

Before the man's hand could manage to find its way over her mouth again, she bit down as hard as she could on his fingers, causing him to yell out in pain. His arm, by a lucky accident, let go of her to hold his near-bleeding fingers.

Sam wasted no time and tried to run, only to be tackled by the large man. The both of them fell down, but it was the man who scrambled to his feet first. He squeezed her shoulders so hard it hurt. The expression on his face told her he was infuriated.

"DANNY! DANNY! HELP!" she screamed, hoping he'd hear her.

"You're pretty stupid to call out for your friend. Look around you; no one's here. You're all alone." he said gruffly.

"DANNY!" she continued to scream. "HELP, DANNY!"

In an effort to stop her noise-making, he backed her up against the side of a building. The bricks used to build it were scraping against her skin, and this made any attempt of getting away painful and difficult.

However, she persisted and could only hope he was on his way, "DANNY!"

"Shut up!" he commanded. To prove he meant business, he used most of his weight and probably half of his strength the pull the goth down, scraping her back against the bricks.

Pinning her down, though not without difficulty due to her struggling, he climbed on top of her. Now she couldn't escape no matter how hard she tried. Unfortunately, the girl's pain wasn't over with.

Her screams could be heard throughout the entire vicinity. Sadly, no one was around to hear them. Her shrieks of pain went on for at least twenty whole minutes, and in that time only two people could hear the sound: Sam and the man who'd taken her captive. Not many people usually took the route she'd chosen to take, so it was highly unlikely anyone would hear anything.

It ended when the teenager spied a mistake, a weakness, in his form. He was on top of her, and he was surprisingly close to her face. Again, her teeth might save her. But she needed to time this right for it to work.

She waited an excruciating thirty more seconds, and then struck out. Her teeth drove into the man's neck, right where his voicebox was, and stayed there.

The man howled in agony and rushed to get off of his attacker. It was only when he stood up that the girl's enamel came out of his neck, leaving small but extremely painful wounds where they'd been.

Sam didn't hesitate to scramble to her feet, even though her insides felt like twenty-five butcher knives were taking turns stabbing her lower abdomen. Right now, all that mattered to her was making it out alive.

She proceeded to run at top speed. Her house should be just around the corner, so...

In juat a minute, she stood in front of her fumbling with the house keys. It was a good thing her parents were out of town for a few days; if they learned what just happened to her...

A click brought her out of her thoughts. The door opened and she burst inside, slamming the door shut again and locking it.

Then she shrunk to the floor and began weeping. Her mind replayed all the events that had just occurred. It had happened so fast, but it was so painful. Like a blurry nightmare, she'd been taken advantage of. Never would she have thought this would happen to her, but it did. And it was shocking that an offender lurked so close to her, and all the while she hadn't realized...

These things happened every day on the News, so one became desensitized to them. But what people failed to understand was that these things could happen to them in a flash. This was the realization that had just hit her.

_**A/N**_

**Okay, so that was the first chapter. I'm hoping for five reviews, but less is fine. However, please! If you liked the story, review. People look at the number of reviews a story receives and often judge it based on that. If it's good, it'll have a good number of reviews, if it's bad, it'll have a bad number. So if you think the story was good, review. Tell me what you think could be improved. Tell me what you liked and disliked. And, of course, I'm always open to ideas for the next chapter! Also, it's fair to tell you that I may **_discontinue_** this story if it can't bring in many reviews.**

**The reason this chapter was so short was because it was a prologue. Prologues aren't usually very long; mine's no exception. But rest assured, other chapters (starting with the next one) will be much longer. Probably by another two thousand words. (this one was only one thousand words long)**


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 2~

"Hey, have you seen Sam lately?" Danny asked his friend, who was walking right beside him out of the school's kitchen area.

"No, I heard she got sick, but nothing's actually been proven yet," he answered nonchalantly.

"Something's wrong. Sam hasn't been to school in three weeks, a sickness can't last _that_ long. Can it?" he said.

"Technically, it's possible," Tucker said. He grabbed his fork even before they chose a table and began to taste-test the piping-hot, just-came-out-of-the-stove cheeseburger.

Danny and Tucker sat down at their usual table and continued on the subject of their friend's absence, only breaking the conversation to take a bite of food or to drink.

The raven-haired teen swallowed and added, "Plus, she almost never gets sick."

"But everyone has to get sick sometime," Tucker combated. He popped his last apple slice into his mouth and noisily crunched on it.

"Yeah, but to last three weeks? That's a little fishy... You think it's something serious?" he worried.

"Probably not, but it's still a possibility," his friend answered. He then pointed at Danny's food, which had hardly been touched. "You gonna eat that?"

Danny pushed his plate over to the happy teen awaiting it. "I'm gonna go check on Sam real quick; cover for me while I'm gone." With these parting words, and leaving no time for a reply on Tucker's part, he ducked under the table, underwent the transformation that would allow him to become a seemingly full ghost, and turned invisible. All the while he was mindful of the metal bars supporting the chairs on which the students sat.

He glided right through any school walls obstructing his path, hoping dearly that Sam didn't have any serious illness. It didn't take him long to get to his destination thanks to his flying ability and his ability to go straight through objects in a ghastly manner.

He landed on his friend's front doorstep and resumed his human form. He tenaciously knocked on her door, knowing full well that Sam's father hated him. But, determined to know what was wrong with her, he didn't care at the moment.

Luckily, her father wasn't home and her mother answered the door instead. "Oh, hello there! I hope you aren't expecting to see Samantha..." the kind voice sang.

"Actually, I am. Why? Is she sick?" he asked.

Mrs. Manson put a hand up to her head and a baffled expression crossed her face. "I honestly just can't say. She refuses to see a doctor and spends all her time writing dark poetry. She won't go to school, and I'm not even going to try to make her anymore. Something's wrong, I know, but as a parent, she won't talk to me. If I could just ask a favor of you... Would you try to talk to Samantha for me? Find out what's on her mind. Please, I'm counting on you."

"Sure, Mrs. Manson. Thank you," he said as he walked upstairs to his friend's room.

"No, no! I should be thanking you!" the reply echoed through the halls.

The words were lost to the worried teenager; he'd just opened his friend's door to find a most unexpected scene. The curtains were closed tighter than ever, allowing not a single ray of light to come through. The only source of light, in fact, was a little lamp. It scarcely illuminated the area, but Sam didn't seem to notice. The temperature of the room was pretty cold, but Sam didn't seem to care. In fact, she just sat on her bed, with papers scattered all around her. A grunt and a mumble was heard every now and then as he watched her to see if she would acknowledge his presence. But after ten seconds passed, and with her not turning around to face him, it didn't look like she was aware he was standing in her house, let alone her room.

Eventually, the teen picked up a paper he'd found near him and began reading it aloud, so as to catch her attention. The paper was partially scribbles, and the words were hard to make out in the dim light, but he was able to read it successfully. As he read, he realized what her mother had been talking about when she said 'dark' poetry. The note seemed like something only Edgar Allen Poe would write. It said:

I am not the dove that sits upon your windowsill,  
Beckoning the dawn,  
I am the Raven that cries out in the night,  
Awakening the evils.  
I am not the robin that nests among the branches,  
Singing with the sunshine,  
I am the Raven who spreads her cloak of mystery,  
While she basks in the glow of the moon.  
I am not the sparrow that soars up in the sky,  
Reaching for the clouds,  
I am the Raven, forever concealed in the darkness,  
Broken only by the brightness of the stars.  
I am not the bluejay, flying gracefully,  
With the late afternoon breeze,  
I am the Raven, lurking in the dark graveyard,  
And haunting your nightmares.  
I am not the gull, gliding upon the wind,  
And spray of the sea,  
I am the Raven, uttering a shriek that chills the bones,  
In the early hours of morning.  
Oh yes, I am the creature that you associate with all evils.  
I am the Raven.  
And I am the bringer of death.

Sam turned her head just enough for her to see him out of the corner of her eyes as he read the poem out loud. Almost as soon as she recognized who it was, her eyes narrowed.

After he was done reading it, he could do nothing but say, "Wow. That's...crazy poetry."

Sam didn't reply, but turned her head back to her front. The only other noise was the pair's breath for what seemed like the longest time.

"So... Whatcha been up to, Sam?" he asked, hoping to bring up a conversation. Unfortunately, this question didn't rake in a response. At a loss of words, he began walking towards her, thinking eye contact might help.

The boy didn't take five steps before Sam finally talked to him. "Don't...come any closer," she hissed. Every word dripped with acid, and Danny obeyed.

A few seconds later, the sound of scribbling could be heard as Sam's pencil glided over her paper. He wondered what she was writing about, and brought himself to ask her about it.

She didn't reply.

He started walking towards her again, but was abruptly stopped by her angry voice, "I said don't come near me!"

"Y-You sound mad. Was it something I did?" he questioned, becoming quite frustrated with her actions.

Her response wasn't oral, but he literally felt the fury and pain burning off her body, like a radiating heat of emotions. The paper she'd been writing on, she now crumbled up and threw at him.

He didn't see it coming and therefore failed to catch it. "Am I missing something here? I mean, at least I'm trying to talk to you!" he yelled, "You're just telling me to go away and now you throw _this_ at me?" He picked up the paper wad and held it out for her to see.

Her figure slumped over a little bit, but her mouth didn't budge.

"Oh, here we go again! Do I have to walk to get you to speak? 'Cause I'll do it!" he said, putting one foot forward to show her he meant what he said.

Her breathing became more labored, as though she was breathing through clenched teeth.

"Alright, fine!" he said, throwing his arms up in the air. He began walking again, only to discover that she wasn't stopping him this time, or telling him to go away. Instead, it sounded like she was trying to speak, but was too choked up. Her mouth was definitely moving, but the words didn't seem to be coming out right.

"Sam?"

Only the strangled sounds answered him. Was she crying? Was Samantha Manson really _crying_?

"Sam, what's the matter?" he said, stopping inches from her bedside.

Her head was dropped. She wasn't permitting him to see her face for some reason. But tears were definitely falling. This wasn't like her at all. She was the type who wouldn't cry if her arm was being ripped off her body. Something terrible must've happened to cause this.

Everything else had struck him as wierd, but this struck him as illogical. Maybe he was dreaming, but even if he was, he wanted to help this dream-character. "What's wrong, Sam? You can tell me; I won't tell anyone."

She weakly shook her head. He didn't know if she did that from disappointment or some other emotion, or if she did it because she didn't want to tell him.

He reached out a hand to place it on her shoulder, but she only slapped it away. He could feel a glare aimed at him.

"What's upseting you so much?" he softly asked.

"Y-You weren't...there," she managed.

"I wasn't there...?" he repeated. "What do you mean? Did something happen?"

"You weren't there," she said, more clearly this time.

"What do you mean I wasn't there? Where was there?" he asked, confusion showing profusely.

Anger seemed to force her words now. "You weren't there for me!"

"Wha...? I-I wasn't there? For you? We go to school every day and we always hang out afterwards. How am I not there?" he stuttered.

Sam jumped off her bed and poked him in the chest. "You. Weren't. There. For. Me."

He sighed, figuring maybe she was tired and needed rest. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for y-"

"I...called out for you." she whispered.

"Huh?"

"I called out, and you wouldn't answer. You didn't come!" she repeatedly beat her tiny fists on Danny's chest as she continued, "You didn't care! I kept screaming for you! Over and over! And you still wouldn't come! I believed in you! I trusted you! I kept calling for you! Over and over and over! You never came! You wouldn't listen to me! So I kept calling and waiting! And you still didn't come for me!"

She dropped to the carpet and sobbed. Naturally, Danny knelt down to her level to console her, but she only tried to push him away, not wanting to accept the hug he offered. "You wouldn't... You wouldn't... Even though I called for you... Even though I needed you... You wouldn't come for me..."

She soon found herself leaning into his embrace. "I needed you..." she whispered, her voice becoming hoarse and rough from the earlier screaming.

Danny started rocking the upper portion of his body back and forth and released a string of hushes. He wasn't quite sure what his friend was so upset about, but he knew that he had something to do with it. He knew he had to make it right somehow, but for now all he could do was calm her down.

Soon all he heard was sniffling and a few whimpers. Now that she'd calmed down, hopefully enough to reason with, he asked her, "How was I not there for you?"

"I called. I needed you," she rasped, "You wouldn't come. Don't you care about me?"

"Of course I do, Sam. That's why I'm here," he said, "Now, I want you to tell me what happened, from beginning to end. Okay?"

She nodded, a bit fatigued from her outburst, and summarized the events, "I was walking down the sidewalk when I felt like I was being watched. I thought it might've been you or Tucker, but when I turned to look I didn't see anyone. I kept walking a little further, then I heard a twig snap. I turned to look again, but I still didn't see anyone. So I kept walking and then a big shadow blocked out the sun. I was about to turn around, but a large hand clamped itself over my mouth and an arm held my belly. I couldn't move."

Danny became very concerned as the story continued. It couldn't have been a kidnapping, could it? What happened to her? Who was this person she was talking about? Why did they go after her? And why did they try to restrict her movements?

Sam continued, oblivious to her friend's inner alarms going off. "The person was a man with a deep voice. He said to stop squirming, but I didn't. I licked his palm and jerked my head to the side. Then I called for you. He tried to put his hand on my mouth again, but I bit his fingers before he could do that. He let go of me and I tried to run from him. But he knocked me over and grabbed my shoulders. I kept calling for you. I was praying you'd come for me. But you still didn't. He shoved me against the wall and the bricks started scraping my back. I wouldn't stop screaming your name, and he got annoyed. Then he pinned me down on the ground and I couldn't get him off. And then..."

The black-haired teen grew increasingly worried. Her tears started wetting his shirt again as she prepared to go on.

"There wasn't anyone around to hear me, so no one came. But I called out your name a few more times and asked you to help. He only got angry and...soon I could feel him inside me. It hurt so bad I couldn't keep calling for you. All I could do was scream. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get away. The pain just kept coming and coming... It was unbearable, but there was nothing I could do to stop him. It went on like that for a long time, and with every passing second I thought I was going to break or split in two. Then I saw a way out. I bit his neck as hard as I could and slipped out from under him. Then I ran the rest of the way home. When I got inside I made sure I locked the door back. I've been in my room ever since."

The images the explanation brought to his mind were beyond horrific. They were torturous and twisted. Mixed feelings came over him as the realization of what happened to her hit him. And the fact that she'd called out for him who-knows-how-many times made him feel guilty for not coming to aid her. But what happened would explain the poetry, why she wouldn't show up at school, probably why she refused to go to the doctor's office, why she'd been sealed in her room, and why she was so angry at him. He couldn't blame her; he was angry at himself for not hearing her cries for help. Who knows? She probably cried out for mercy as well. And he wasn't there! Here he was supposed to be this hero, with all these ghost powers, and he didn't even rescue his best friend.

Upon not hearing or seeing any response from Danny, the goth assumed he was disappointed in her. "You're disgusted with me, aren't you?"

Immediately, the teen snapped out of his thoughts and answered, "Not with you, but with the guy who did this to you. Why did you think I'd be disgusted with you?"

"You don't think of me as a slut?" she asked.

"Of course not, Sam! What happened to you... Well, you couldn't control it. It wasn't your fault."

"Then why do I feel like it was?" she wondered.

"You're blaming yourself for something you didn't do," he pointed out.

She sighed, pondering whether or not he was right. After all, wasn't it _her_ who had chosen to take that route home? If only she'd gone a different way, maybe this incident could've been avoided. Then she could have returned to life as normal. "Don't tell anyone else. Not even my parents."

"Why?"

"I just... I don't want this thing to blow up into a huge deal."

"But, Sam, it _is_ a huge deal. You were-" he paused when he saw her grimace from what he was about to say. Instantly, he corrected himself, "You were hurt."

"Yeah, but it's not anyone else's problem. I wanna handle this on my own."

"It's good you want to be independent, but there are times when you need other people."

"Now isn't one of them. When I get into a real life-or-death situation, then I'll call 911," she retorted.

"And what if you hadn't gotten away, Sam? What might have happened if you hadn't come home? If you hadn't bitten his neck?" Danny asked.

She stalled, not knowing how to answer such a truthful question. "I...don't know. But it's not necessary to get my parents involved."

"Fine, I won't tell anyone," he gave, "But there is something else I want to talk to you about."

"What?" she questioned.

"I know this...may be an uncomfortable subject for any girl to talk about, but I want you to be honest with me. Were you...on your period?" he asked awkwardly.

"No, why?"

"Because, if you were, then it would've acted as a shield against..." his voice trailed off, wondering whether or not to continue.

"Against what?"

"Um, have you felt sick lately?"

"A little, but I think it was just some bad food. Where are you going with this anyway?"

"And have you gotten angry and then happy all of a sudden?"

"I dunno. Again, where are you going with all this?" she repeated, her confusion evident in her tone.

"I think you should go to the doctor's."

"No, I don't want some doctor to find out about this; and I definitely don't want my parents knowing."

He sighed, wondering when she was going to piece two and two together. "No, Sam, that's not- I mean, it's a very real possibility that you could be..." he trailed off again, hoping she'd finish for him. No one wanted to be the bearer of bad news, after all.

"I could be wha-" Her eyes widened as she finally guessed it. "Me? No, no, that's...impossible!"

"Maybe you should get a test," Danny suggested, hoping they were talking about the same thing.

"I don't need a test; there's no _way_ I could be pregnant!" she denied. However, in her mind a totally different answer was tormenting her. What if it wasn't bad food that made her sick? What if she really had conceived?

His eyes dropped, knowing this was hard for her. "You won't know for sure until you take one."

"Y-You're dead serious," she gasped. She scrambled to her feet and pulled Danny up with her. She took one of his hands and placed it across her stomach. "See? You'd feel something down there! That is, if something _was_ there. Right?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Actually, I don't think you feel anything until a few months," he stated.

"But that happened three weeks ago..." she breathed.

"I'm not saying you are, I'm just saying you might be," he clarified.

She sat down on her bed. "Danny, could you run by the store and get some after school? If my parents ever found me in a place like that...even I can't say what would happen to you."

"To me?"

"Yeah, my dad really hates you. He's going to assume we're...you know." A bright red color appeared on her face.

"Good point. I'll get some, but I'm gonna have to ditch Tucker first. Might take some time."

"I can wait."

Danny put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't be nervous, Sam. No matter what happens, everyone's still going to be there for you."

"Easy for you to say..." she mumbled.

**A/N**

**And, as you can see, that was the second chapter of the story. Again, don't be shy with the reviews, people! Maybe this time we could bump it up to thirteen reviews? I dunno, but you all understand the situation. And for the record, I'm not used to pushing you guys for reviews. Normally, I like to let everyone review when they want to. But some of my stories get thousands of hits and only about ten reviews per every three chapters. Not good, not good at all. Then someone gave me the advice to start asking for reviews or cancel the story and move on to a different idea. Well, now I'm taking that advice. Either review, or the story is lost forever.**

**Also, a little heads-up on this chapter. First of all, I just want to say that this chapter is over THREE THOUSAND words long! Hooray! And secondly, I'm not sure where to go with this. I don't know whether or not Sam will be pregnant. I'm leaning towards not pregnant, because it'll be easier to write the story that way. But if you guys want her to be pregnant, I can make that happen. Again, I haven't exactly decided yet. So tell me what you think I should do, because I'm writing this thing for you guys, not for myself. I'd hoped to create a story that captured you guys' interest.**

**Also, I've noticed that some of you have read my last authors' note and have taken my warning into account. Well, guess what? All of you who've done that, I thank you! I'm glad you guys actually listened to me and didn't brush me off like a piece of dog hair on your shoulder! Again, thanks! And here's your replies:**

**To _Codiak_, my first reviewer-As I've said, I will continue the story so long as people are reviewing. I'm simply not inspired to write if I think everyone hates what I'm writing.**

**To _KpFan72491_, my second reviewer-Thank you. Though your review was short, it helped me to write out some of these conversations in this chapter.**

**To _Rachpop15_, my third reviewer-A very special thanks to you. When I read the part about 'pure poetry', it inspired me to put a poetic passage into this story. I think that poem actually made the chapter better overall.**

**To _VampireGurlxox_, my fourth reviewer-I'm happy you liked my story. And yes, the reviews are quite difficult to obtain. But work hard and you'll get them.**

**To my anonymous reviewer _Galacta_, my fifth reviewer-First, I just want to say congrats on completing the number of reviews I asked to get. Second, since my quota has been filled, I will continue the story. But only if the new quota is filled. Once my number of reviews reaches ten instead of five, I'll post the third chapter. But until then, keep reviewing!**

**To _Sunshine-Midnight123_, my sixth reviewer-Yes, my prologue was longer than most, wasn't it? But compared to the rest of the story, it's fairly short. I'm also glad you think the plot is strong. Not many people talk about that stuff. And yes, it was terrible what happened to Sam, but it had to be there because if it wasn't, then the entire storyline would be ruined.**

**To _xsugarxblossomx_, my seventh reviewer-No, I didn't write the rape scene in the last chapter, because I didn't want it to turn into an M-rated story. But I was mindful of that flaw, and made up for it in this chapter, as you can clearly see as Sam explains to Danny what happened. And, yeah, I suppose it was still pretty powerful. Even while I was writing it, I had this feeling deep in my gut, like a knot was being tied using my stomach. So, even I was emotional. :P**

**To _DanielleAlwaysandForever_, my eighth reviewer-You really think it'll pass as a story? Wow. I'm glad you liked my writing concept. Oh, and, uh...technically, last chapter was the first one. Even though it was a prologue, it still counted as an actual chapter of the story. Think of it as a two-in-one deal.**

**These are the ones who took the time out of their day to tell me their thoughts on my story. And to all of them, I thank dearly. So, without further ado, THANK YOU REVIEWERS!**


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 3~

Sam paced her room several times, her bladder about to bust. She tried everything to distract her from the pain her was feeling. "Ugh...Where is he?" she moaned. Where could he possibly be at 11:04 at night? She watched the last number of the clock change. Now it stared at her, it's glowing red eyes reading the altered time of 11:05. Night had fallen and he still wasn't back with the pregnancy tests. Could he have forgotten? True, he was a boy, but when your best friend might be expecting? C'mon!

"Sam, over here," a familiar male voice whispered, almost scaring the person to whom he talked.

The goth turned and saw Danny just resuming his human form. In his hands were two handfuls of preganacy tests, each brand name different. They ranged from white to blue to purple in color. And the tiny rectangular boxes had never before looked so intimidating to the potentially pregnant teenager. They were a symbol of the shame she wore, and they could possibly change her life forever.

"Where were you?" she hissed, "School was over hours ago!"

"Sorry to make you wait; I got detention for skipping class. Tucker didn't do a good enough job of lying to Mr. Lancer. So naturally my parents had to come up and debate with him, and that took forever. So then I had to serve detention time and when I got home we had a family discussion about how to avoid trouble at school. Then Jazz started saying a bunch of psychological stuff and then the discussion went back to me and to top that, I wasn't allowed to go anywhere until I finished my homework." By the time he got done explaining himself, he was breathless.

"Yeah, nice story. We have more pressing matters, though," she gushed. "Quick, give me the tests!"

He saw her wince in pain as she snatched them from his hand. He just assumed he waited too long and now she about to pop. Luckily for him, he assumed correctly. The first thing she did after obtaining the little boxes was dash to the bathroom.

The door was carefully shut, so as not to wake her sleeping parents. But even after she was in the bathroom, the knob jiggled for a mere half-second due to her forgetfulness to let go of it. Soon the sounds of cardboard tearing were heard throughout the room. Danny assumed this was the first box being brutally 'opened'.

An almost complete silence filled the atmosphere with tension. What would the outcome be? Would the results be positive? Negative? Though he desperately hoped it was negative, there was a very real possibility that his friend's life could change from here on out. And if it was positive, then she would be devastated. But the chances were slim since it was just one encounter, so why was he worried so much? It was probably because fate had already dealt her a cruel hand; he knew she didn't need any more stress. And a baby would be just too much, even for Sam.

The goth came out of the restroom, looking more relieved than he'd ever seen her.

"It was negative?" he asked with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah, the results say I'm not pregnant," she beamed.

"That's great, Sam!" he said excitedly but softly, still mindful of her snoring parents. And especially mindful of her snoring father. "I was kind of getting worried."

"I told you there was no way I was pregnant," she replied smugly.

Danny smiled; Sam was already starting to act like her old self. Apparently, discovering she wasn't going to be a mother had lifted her spirits. And he was happy to know he helped take part in it. Suggesting the tests may have been the best idea he'd ever had!

* * *

"Wow," Tucker mused when he saw his friend's exhausted state, "You really need to try out the concept of 'coffee'."

"Eh, there were alot of factors involved. But, c'mon; I'm not that bad," the halfa said.

"Yeah, well...we'll see how you do in class today. Think you can stay up for another six _hours_?" Tucker teased.

Danny sighed, "No..."

"Anyway, did you talk to Sam yesterday?" he asked.

"Yeah, he did. Now I'm back in action," a feminine voice rang.

Both the boys looked to their left to find none other than Samantha Manson. Her hair was brushed, which had not been the case last night, and her mascara trails had been wiped off her face to be replaced by a new layer of mascara around her eyes. She not only managed to clean herself up, but she even retained her Gothic look.

She casually walked up to the hybrid. "You know, my mom wants to thank you for something. You should probably come over and accept whatever gift she wants you to have. You don't want both my parents to hate you, do you?"

Danny had a marginal expression at first, but quickly caught on to the shy begging in her tone. "Oh, yeah, sure. I'll try to stop by later this afternoon."

She smiled a nearly unnoticeable smile and gave him grateful look. Realizing she hadn't paid any heed to Tucker's presence, she turned to him and said, "And as for you, you dropped this." She held up what looked like a small, round discus that reflected the sun's light to make it shine in a spectrum of colors.

"Hey! That's my configuration disc! I was looking everywhere for this. Where'd you find it?" he asked excitedly.

"I found it on the sidewalk when I was walking to school," she answered evenly.

"Wait, what? You went _alone_?" Danny intervened.

Sam cast the most fiery glare he'd ever seen her give him. "Yes, just like I always do. Why? Is there a problem?" She made sure to emphasize the last word so he'd get the point.

Tucker seemed to shrink away from anger she was emanating. He decided it was best to go with the pack leader on this one and sided with her, "Yeah, Danny, is there a problem?"

His shoulders sagged but the rest of his body tensed. However, he wanted to honor her wishes. This was, after all, her problem. This issue had nothing to do with him or Tucker. "No; there's no problem."

The bell rang urgently at that precise moment, telling all the students waiting outside that it was time for school. It was also telling them if they were late again it would mean bad news.

"We gotta go; I can't afford one more tardy day this semester," he said.

The trio agreed; they'd all been late before and it wasn't exactly fun getting detention for saving Amity City from ghosts all the time. Plus, Danny was the one who was late most often because while Sam and Tucker stood back and helped indirectly, he was the one who actually threw the punches. Well, in his case it would be whatever that green energy was that shot out of his hands.

"Ah, Ms. Manson. You were gone for a long time. I assume you're feeling well now?" Mr. Lancer asked her as she was walking into his classroom.

She took her desk next to Danny and Tucker and said, "Yeah." Her answer was so concise it was believable.

The teacher nodded and walked toward the whiteboard to begin his lesson. "Today," he started, "We will be discussing lower Asia and its large population."

Sam heard Danny groan next to her; he hated history because it bored him to snores. And he'd already gotten busted twice for snoring in class. She probably would've continued to think about how funny it was whenever he was found out, but a wave of lightheadedness swept over her. She held her head and tried to stay focused enough to physically take notes, even if she couldn't mentally take them.

"And during this war..." Mr. Lancer's voice droned.

Okay, so... something about a war in Asia-no, lower Asia. And then something about the outcome damaging an empire? Her vision began to blur as she still fought to jot down everything as he spoke it. Reluctantly, she put down her pencil and cupped her hands around her forehead. Thinking she'd simply missed sleep last night and was now tired, she closed her eyes and tried to think of anything but schoolwork. Hearing Danny lightly snoring next to her didn't help much.

Before she knew it, class was over and the lunch bell sounded. She decided that her dizzy spell was probably almost over and she'd simply wait it out. But she sat at her desk motionless for several minutes before her teacher finally took notice.

"Ms. Manson, is everything alright?" he asked. "You usually rush off to lunch with your friends."

"Swell," she replied. Images of the negative test flashed in her head, and in turn, doubts began arising. What if it...was wrong?

"Are you sure you don't want to see the school nurse? You may not be completely over your sickness yet," he insisted.

"No, I'm fine," she returned.

"Very well. I'll leave you be, then."

Sam just barely nodded. Her head was throbbing not with pain, but with confusion. And unfortunately for her, it was only worsening as her teacher walked out of the classroom to go eat his lunch.

Danny came back moments after Mr. Lancer's departure. He immediately noticed something was wrong with her. "Sam, you okay?"

"What do you think?" she drawled. She shifted one hand and put a little more of her weight on the other to try to increase her comfort.

"Is it a headache?" he inquired.

"No, it's dizziness."

"Dizziness? But...Sam, I thought you said the test results were negative."

"I...can't even remember it anymore. I think they were, though."

"Did you misread it?" he asked.

"I doubt it. It was one of those things that actually spelled out 'pregnant' and 'not pregnant'." she answered.

Danny sighed. Had the test been wrong? Sam was already showing two symptoms of pregnancy. He glanced down at her stomach, trying to imagine it growing to an unrealistic size. But there was just no way he could picture her pregnant. And on her small frame, there would be no hiding a baby. In fact, if she was with child, it would probably start to show within around two months.

He offered an hand to help her up. She recognized his chivalry and took it, even though she didn't feel like standing. And to prove it, she wobbled around a bit, her body slightly swaying like a metrnome.

"Wow, you really are dizzy, huh?" he said.

He lead her to the cafeterium and allowed her to lean most of her weight on him. The pair was greeted by Tucker.

"What happened to Sam?" he mused.

"Nothing, she just stayed up too late," he said, not knowing whether he was lying or not.

Her eyes lifted. Through her confusion, which wasn't too much to begin with but it was still very uncomfortable, she smelled the food that the school served. There was always some meat, so it pretty much blocked out the scent of cooked veggies. But, though normally a vegetarian, her eyes lit up at the thought of meat.

She got vegetables only to retain her vegetarian status. There were a few fruits involved as well, but all of these combined couldn't relieve her meat fetish. That hot, steaming, juicy meat...

"Uh, Sam?" Tucker waved his hand in front of her face and snapped his fingers, trying to call her back to Earth.

She blinked. "Huh?"

"You were staring at his food," Danny answered for him.

"What? No I wasn't. I was just thinking," she lied.

"About what?"

An unknowing look crept into her eyes. "Does it matter?"

The boys exchanged curious glances. "Guess not," they said at the same time.

The individualist munched on a celery stick, trying her best not to think about meat for the rest of lunch. The bell rang again, signaling the next period.

Quoms of students roamed about, jostling each other in an attempt to get to their next class. This was where Sam parted ways with her friends. She had P.E. next, whereas they had their own classes to attend. She, too joined the crowded halls until she was in her destined class.

The room she now stood in was huge, being as it was the gym. The ceiling was covered with metal support beams that intersected, forming the outline of large skyward squares in perfect alignment to the next. The walls were painted a soft goldenrod color with a strip of white bordering the floor. White lines formed a basketball court.

The coach stepped into the room, locking the door to his office. He was a large man with a deep voice to match. His hair and eye color were both brown and he had a big nose. "Okay, to get us started, we'll do ten laps around the gym."

Everyone groaned in displeasure. Laps were done on the very edges of the gym walls, and since it was huge, nobody wanted to start off with laps. Especially not ten of them. "Weren't we supposed to play football outside today?" one person dared to ask.

"It's raining; I'm ordered to keep you all in here for excercising. Football can wait." he replied gruffly.

Sam sighed; she still hadn't fully recovered from her lightheadedness. She wasn't dizzy anymore, but her head felt like it could float away at any given moment.

* * *

The goth flopped on her bed and put a hand over her eyes. Such an exhausting day... But there was also the fact that she had homeowrk to do. Too bad; the weekend never came soon enough...

"You know, you really shouldn't have insisted you walk home alone," Danny chuckled, "I'm not gonna let that happen."

Sam moved her hand and stared up at the ghastly green eyes. She understood why he didn't want her alone, but she still needed her space. "Danny, I'm a girl, and girls like their space."

His shoulders sagged and he averted his eyes.

She sighed. "Listen, Danny, I know you're trying to make up for...what happened," she didn't want to say the word aloud, "Okay, I know I was mad at you before, but that was because I...felt like I needed to blame someone. And since it was you I called for, I naturally just...blamed you. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. By the way, what were you doing in the nurse's office at school?" he asked.

"I passed out in P.E. today..." she murmured, almost hoping he hadn't heard her.

"Was it a dizzy spell?" he inquired.

She slowly nodded her head, not removing her eyes from the ceiling.

"Sam, it's...it's starting to look more and more like you're...pregnant." He lowered his voice to make sure it was impossible for her parents to hear.

Sensing this, she said, "Relax. My parents aren't even home yet. And about that pregnancy thing, the test was negative," she reitterated.

Hating to break this kind of thick ice, he added, "And sometimes those tests are wrong. You only used one, right?"

"I know. Believe me, I've had my own doubts throughout the day."

"When are you going to take another?" he asked.

She groaned. That was a good question. She turned over on her belly. If the test was wrong, then this would hurt in a few months. But a different pregnancy test would show whether or not she was, well, pregnant. She'd certainly shown some symptoms. In fact, the only ones she hadn't had were mood swings and the need to pee alot.

The spectre sat on the bed next to his friend. He knew this had to be hard for her, and while he was happy she had her spirits back, he wished she never had to get them back in the first place. "Sam, I'm sorry. If only I'd been there, I could've prevented this..."

"We don't know for sure if I'm pregnant yet! Don't jinx it, you jerk!" She punched him on the arm, getting angry for some reason.

He didn't wince; it didn't even hurt. Not because he was a ghost right now, but simply because Sam wasn't very strong. "That's not what I was talking about..."

After a few seconds, it dawned on her that he didn't mean the pregnancy thing, but what happened three weeks ago. Suddenly, she wasn't angry at him any more. "Oh. Sorry, I thought you meant-"

"Don't worry about it," he assured.

Sam rolled back over and sat up as a new realization hit her. "Why do you keep looking out for me?"

He grinned proudly and rapidly answered, "'Cause I'm a big jerk."

"Alright then, big jerk, I'm gonna start drinking, so you might want to entertain yourself 'cause this'll take awhile," she said, chuckling lighly.

"Drinking? You're underage!" he protested, shocked that she'd even think of doing that.

"Not that kind of drink!" She shoved water bottle in his face. It was labeled 'Dasani'. "I don't need to go to the bathroom right now, so I thought I'd speed up the process."

His face turned puce and he smiled sheepishly. "Oh..."

She rolled her eyes, a perfectly fitting action for her personality, and began chugging down water.

**A/N (HAPPY HALLOWEEN!)**

**First thing's first, I know this chapter sucked, okay? So nobody comment on how bad this was. But I kinda needed some fillers, and on top of that I was really tired when I wrote this, so back off! And if any characters are a little OOCish, sorry but again, I was really tired. Oh, and I still don't know whether Sam's gonna be pregnant or not. I'm still waiting for you guys' advice on that topic, and though most of you are saying do it, there are some of you who probably don't want it. So thanks, 'cause now I'm stuck! *laughs* I'm not really mad at you guys. Just playing around. It's a holiday, after all. :]**

**However, I must emphasize the review thing. Someone reviewed me and told me that you guys might not like being told to review. I honestly agree with this person. I HATE pushing you guys to review, but I also don't want to lose interest in this story. I need to be able to read you guys' reviews to inspire new ideas; without you guys this story LITERALLY wouldn't exist because I'd have lost interest in it on the first chapter and just taken it down. So if you want this thing to stay up, please review. Let's try to bump it up another notch. When I get twenty-two (that's 22) reviews, I promise to post the next chapter. And you can count on my promise because I've never let you guys down before, right? Well, I hope not... Anyways, the new quota is 22 reviews. The previous quota was exceeded; I'm happy about that! And another thing: 22 reviews is only 5 more reviews than I currently have. So it's not as much as it looks. **

**I'm not going to do the reply thing that I did last chapter, because it's Halloween and I have to get to my friends' house. (yes, friends'; not a typo 'cause they're sisters) And also because it takes awhile to get down there. So instead, I'll do this: A heartwarming thanks to the following reviewers: _Rachpop15_, _Anonymous_, _Codiak_, _Squeeze_, _KP100_, _Sunshine-Midnight123_, _Kpfan72491_, _jiminxx_, and _VampireGurlxox_. (The reviewers are listed in the order they reviewed the last chapter.)**

**Thanks again for reviewing (and reading, of course) and HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to dress up as a cat and go trick-or-treating with my friends! (I'll NEVER pass up an oppotunity to get free candy! NEVER!)**


	4. Chapter 4

~Chapter 4~

The bathroom door opened, and Sam looked pretty tired as she came out.

"Well?" the halfa asked nervously.

"Another negative," she said, "I'm not pregnant. But the sickness and fainting...what is it?"

Danny let out a sigh of relief, along with the breath he hadn't even known he was holding. "I don't know. Maybe you're just getting sick."

"Um... Well, I know I've only shown those two symptoms...but there's been more that you haven't seen," she averted her eyes and continued, "I gained two pounds in three weeks. And I feel tired more often than I used to. And...that one time at lunch, when you thought I was staring at Tucker's food...I-I was actually looking at the meat."

"At...meat? You?" he repeated in disbelief.

She blushed, letting her body talk for her.

"I think this thing is making you paranoid, Sam."

"Danny, you know me. I don't get paranoid," she combated.

He honestly had never seen her get paranoid over anything before, but there was a first for everything. "But let's be logical here. You took two pregnancy tests, both negative, and now you're saying you have the symptoms of a pregnant lady. Maybe I shouldn't have suggested the tests at all."

Anger roiled in her belly. How dare he say what she felt and didn't feel? He wasn't going through it; he wouldn't know! "Yeah, well! Maybe you shouldn't have even brought it up!" she yelled.

As soon as the hybrid opened his mouth to speak, the door flew open and Mr. Manson rushed into his daughter's room. Apparently her parents had come home and they hadn't even noticed.

"Samantha! I heard you-" He stalled as soon as he saw Danny, who was no longer a ghost. Suddenly worry was replaced with fury and his eyes burned with hatred. "You..." he growled, "You stay away from my daughter!"

"Yeah, stay away from me! And don't bother coming back!" she vehemently agreed.

Having a sudden urge to leave, he crept uncomfortably out of the room and practically ran the rest of the way out the door, slumping down on her front doorstep. A click was heard, signaling that the door had been locked to keep him out. Man, Sam must've been pretty ticked at him...

He got up and took three steps before his ghost sense went off, his icy breath easily seen even in the frigid weather. This was his cue.

"I'm going ghost!" he shouted to no one in particular.

* * *

The goth's anger faded after awhile, and she realized that she meant none of what she'd said. Speaking of which... Why _had_ she said that? And...why had she yelled at him? He hadn't done anything wrong. Wait! Mood swings... But the tests were both negative!

"What's wrong with me?" she whispered to herself, making sure her father was fully out of sight and earshot before climbing down the vines growing next to her window. It wasn't unnatural to her to sneak out this way. She'd been doing it ever since the vines had grown strong enough to support her weight. And another two pounds definitely wouldn't make a difference. Hopefully.

She needed air, and also to find Danny. It would be better if she were able to apologize to him.

"Danny," she called, "Danny, are you there?"

A gruff, deep, and angry voice answered her, "So this is where you live..."

Sam's eyes widened in fear; she recognized this voice. She wasted no time in running, not even turning to look first. For some reason, her fear overpowered logic this time and she ran past her house, instead of in it.

* * *

"Ha! You can never defeat the great and mighty Technus!" said the ghoul Danny fought.

He got up from the ground for a sarcastic comeback, "So you got another upgrade, congrats."

This seemed to anger Technus, and the ghost shot electricity from his finger tips.

Thinking he had the advantage, Danny Phantom forced intangibility on himself. But instead of phasing through the lighting, the currents caught him and wrapped around him, causing electrical tremors to vibrate his body.

Once they faded to nothing but a few sparks, he freed himself.

"Now where was the sarcasm you used earlier, hm? I was looking forward to that," the foul spectre mocked.

As though it had done nothing to him, the halfbreed stood straight up in the air and inhaled deeply to release a ghostly wail that some of his powers inhabited. And he'd have done quite a bit of damage to his opponent using this technique, if not for the sight that caught his attention.

Sam was running from a large man dressed in a long beige overcoat and black gloves. This outfit always spelled disaster. He wasn't there for her last time, but this time...

"What's the matter, ghost boy? Afraid to lose?" Technus continued to taunt.

Normally, this comment would've spurred him to fight harder. But with Sam in danger, he felt absolutely no urge to listen. He lurched towards Sam, the flashbacks of her story filling his head and enraging him. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

* * *

The goth felt a heavy force tug her back, and she soon found a knife to her throat. Two arms held her, and the knife was angled so that if she turned her head, her throat would be slit. She trembled, but was careful to stay still.

"Now you can't tell anyone about our little rendezvous!" the large man whispered hoarsely into her ear, "And I won't have to go to jail...I'd say I win."

"D-D-Danny..." she breathed, tears managing to escape.

"Some people never learn..." he muttered to himself, gathering as much strength as he could in preparation for her death.

"DON'T HURT HER!" a desperate voice echoed.

This...this was Danny's voice! He was...here? Now? And he was going to save her! She would live!

"B-Behind you..." she struggled.

The ghost turned just in time to have another spectre ram him. He grunted and fell to the ground below him, in full sight of Sam and her assailant.

"Danny! You came!" she said, delighted despite the knife and the man behind her.

"Not another move, kid! Come near me and the girl goes!" the man warned.

Right when Technus drew what looked like a tricked-out shotgun, Danny put an ecto-shield around himself, careful of his advances toward his endangered friend. He didn't want to upset either villain too much; this could result in her death.

The vegetarian's eyes flicked to the man, and then back to Danny, pleading with him to help. She couldn't help but wonder if the guy who held her captive had a knife the first time he'd gotten his hands on her.

Realizing soon that he couldn't come any closer than he already was, he paused. Technus had even realized his attacks were no good against such a powerful barrier the phantom had erected. But how had it grown this powerful? This strong? It had never been too strong to break before. Why was it still holding up?

Danny turned invisible, which shocked the man into an awe-stricken trance, and let down his shield. Not even Technus could see where he was. But normally ghosts could see other ghosts, even when invisible. Why was this different? Why couldn't he see where his foe was? He should be able to...

The halfbreed disappeared into the ground and reappeared right in front of Sam, though no one could see it. He reached out an arm and grabbed hers, letting his intangibility flow into her. Now that she was untouchable, he scooped her up bridal style and flew into the air, feeling weak for some reason.

The man was stunned and petrified at the same time. Not to mention angry. It was the exact same for Technus.

* * *

"You okay?" he asked softly, turning off his invisibility and intangibility.

She nodded, but the tears told him otherwise.

"I'm sorry. I know I should've been there the first time; I hope this makes up for it," he said.

"Don't drop me," she answered.

"Since when have I ever-" he stalled to bank to his right, just managing to avoid a well-aimed shot. A quick glance revealed the assailant: Technus.

"You can't just run away from a fight! No _real_ man would do that," he taunted.

"Oh, great..." he mumbled.

Both ghosts embarked on a short chase before Danny began to get tired and physically incapable of most of his powers. The person who he held began to notice his body losing altitude. She mumbled his name to encourage him. He tried, but couldn't completely make up for the lost airspace. In fact, he only rose about ten feet into the air.

"I...can't keep flying," he told the goth, "I'm drained."

"What do you mean you're drained?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm running low on energy," he corrected.

"Then go to the ground and escape," she suggested, though her thoughts were elsewhere at the time.

"No; you're going home first. I'm not gonna be able to keep this up for much longer..." he strained as he tried to pull her up onto his back and give his arms a rest.

She wrapped her legs around him and, with much difficulty, climbed aboard his back.

"Change of plans, teenagers!" the ghost cried out from behind them. He shot a glowing net at him, and Danny didn't have it in him to dodge. He got hit, along with Sam, and fell the rest of the way down. "Looks like your little shield really took it outta ya!"

Hoping he could still use this power, he told his friend to stay back and took in a deep breath. As soon as this breath was released, an empowered wail should've been drawn forth, but nothing happened.

A very feminine scream was heard from the background right before he blacked out, "Eat thermos, freak!" It was followed by a blue streak across the dark sky, and then...nothing.

* * *

"Danny, are you okay?" a male voice asked.

Through bleary eyes he observed his surroundings. He was in his bed in room, back at Fenton Works. Sam was sitting in a chair, not looking very eager to go anywhere anytime soon, and Tucker was right beside him. He must've been the voice.

"Danny, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of what I said. I don't know what came over me," the goth quickly apologized.

"It's okay," he answered, "Sorry for the first time."

"What happened to Technus?" he asked, remembering the events just before he passed out from fatigue.

Tucker smirked, as though he'd actually helped in the situation, and said, "Technus is back in the ghost zone. I don't think he'll be coming out anytime soon. Jazz kept in that thermos for the longest time!"

"Jazz? She was there? Is she alright?" he gushed, and then remembering Sam, he turned to her and continued to gush, "Sam! Are you okay? You aren't hurt are you?"

"Danny, relax. Jazz is fine. It turns out, you couldn't have been at more safer place at a more safer time. Jazz already knew Technus had gotten out, and she went to stop him. But right when she got out the door, you were there about to faint. She also freed us from the net," she explained.

"That net? The one that hit us?" he wondered.

"That's the one."

"Hold on... That net hit you, too, didn't it? But that was a ghost net, so...you got hurt from it..." his voice trailed off as he realized he'd failed to protect her simply because he was there.

"Well, I got a little banged up from the fall, if that's what you mean," she clarified.

"So then the net didn't harm you?"

"Nope. I'm a human, you forget. Ghost nets would hurt you only because you're a ghost. And though I couldn't walk through it like in the ghost zone, it didn't truly hurt me on its own."

Danny turned to Tucker, who was listen to their conversation. His expression told him he knew nothing about what happened to them. "Tucker, could you give a little time alone to talk?"

The geek nodded and walked away, probably to go talk to Jazz and find out more information.

"Honestly, Danny, I don't know if you remember it, or even if you realized when you did it, but you defended me form the ground. Right at the last second, you must've recognized that the fall could've killed me, and you turned so I landed on top of you. If not for you...I might not be here right now," she told him.

"I did that?" he said absentmindedly, his brain not yet registering what she'd told him.

"Yeah. I should probably thank you for that," she replied, smiling sweetly to avoid upsetting him.

"Well don't thank me. I could've prevented you from being hurt at all. But instead I used up too much power fighting Technus, while you were in serious danger," he said, referring to the man who'd captured her.

The vegetarian's face drained of color as she recalled what happened before the events of her involvement in the fight with Technus.

"See? If it was a ghost, I could've sensed it," he berated himself.

"Danny, I'm not going to blame you like I did before. It's not even your fault. You saved me, Danny. Isn't that enough for you?" she asked curiously, her face not yet having regained its color.

"No! No, it's not enough! Not when I could've avoided any injury..." he denied.

"You're being too hard on yourself. You can't keep me from getting cuts and scratches; it's a part of life. On top of that, all I got were these bruises on my elbow and knee. Nothing serious."

"But it could've turned into something serious..." he mumbled.

The individualist reached down and took one of his large hands in both of her smaller ones. "Danny, I..." she thought about admitting the feeling she felt right now, but decided not too, "I was just wondering if you got enough rest."

"Plenty," he grunted.

"Well, get some more. You really shouldn't even ask if _I'm_ the one okay. Take a look at your current condition," she commanded.

Danny looked down at himself. His jeans were ripped in all sort of places, but none too embarrassing, and his shirt looked like it had been fried. He didn't even want to know how his hair and face looked. He groaned, pain filing all sorts of places on his body. This alone was enough to tell him that he had, as Sam had said, took the full brunt of the fall.

"Instead of blaming yourself, you should demanding a thank-you from me," she said, not exactly partial to the word 'demand'.

"I...guess I _did_ save your life. Or at least that's what my bones are telling me," he chuckled.

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but your parents told me to stay here for awhile. And for some reason, Jazz agreed," she said.

He gave her a questionable look. Did his parents know what happened to her; about his identity?

"Don't worry, they don't know anything. They just assumed we'd been mugged. And naturally, that's kinda what I went with," she squeaked.

"Gee, thanks. That'll be good for my social record," he replied sarcastically.

"What social record? Our school rank is 'The Invisibles'. We don't really have a social life, let alone a social record," she retorted.

Another look was cast, but this one was a look of concern. "Sam, you feeling okay?"

Honestly, no she wasn't. But she wanted him to think of her as strong and independent. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You look pale," the hybrid pointed out.

Pale or not, a blush showed right through. He knew her all too well... "Okay, so I don't feel like number one, no big deal."

"Are you nauseous?"

Darn it! How did he know? Who told him? "A little, but it's nothing really."

"There's a bathroom right there," he pointed to the door in front of his bed. Though she glanced over to it, she didn't leave him. Was this...could this be right? Sick again? Sam? No way; something was definitely wrong here. "I would suggest another-"

"No! I'm not taking another test, Danny. I've already taken two, and both turned out negative. Besides, I'm still full from all that water I had to drink to take the last one," she said defiantly. But the worried look he had on his face urged her to at least think about it. There may have been a possibility that both of them hadn't tested the way they should've. And she _had_ been showing and feeling the same symptoms as someone who had conceived. So...did that mean she had conceived?

**A/N**

**Sorry for not being able to post this thing as recently as I'd have liked. School's back in session and I tend to get a little misfocused. So I took out my hate for school by leaving you guys with a cliffie! Yay! (for me) But don't worry, at least now by the time you all review, I'll have made my final decision whether or not to make her pregnant. I know I've been kinda tugging back and forth with that and I know it's been on you guys' minds lately. So I won't make you wait much longer. Next chapter will reveal the secret.**

**This time, I'm going to raise the bar to thirty-two (32) reviews. It's not actually alot to ask since a ton of people read this story. Only about one percent of you have to review. So review away, readers!**

**If you're expecting a reply to your last review to that last chapter, here they are:**

**_xsugarxblossomx_-Yeah, I hate that! But in this story, Sam's only acting. She's not really 'okay'. I try to give little hints to that without actually saying it.**

**_Rachpop15_-lolz! YA! FREE CANDY! Yeah she does seem pregnant, but I'm debating whether or not to toy with you on that. :P I know I'm evil... If she's not pregnant, I think I'll make it somehow link to Danny's powers strengthening.**

**_Kpfan72491_-Thanks, and thanks for reviewing all of them as well! ^.^**

**_Amethyst Ocean_-First off, nice name! Secondly, I'm glad you liked the first chapter. I hope you'll continue to review this story.**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Loved? Don't you still love it? lolz Just kidding. So you think she should be pregnant, too, huh? I dunno. Like I've said, I'm still thinking about it.**

**_hunnybunny276198_-Yeah, Hidden Secrets (I think) is a great story. I tried not to make it a BBxRae fanfic, but it just kinda strayed in that direction. And to think I used to diss all the BBxRae lovers. Oh well! Can't beat 'em, join 'em. Obviously, that's exactly what I did.**

**_VampireGurlxox_-I'd like to say nice avatar! And I also think it's sweet how Danny is concerned. But remember, Tucker doesn't know yet. He'll be just as concerned if I ever let him find out.**

**_Mayaheart_-I'll try to put in more detail; thanks for notifying me.**

**_Lunemoonx_-Well, now you just saw what happens! lolz I'm so evil... *smirks devilishly* Don't worry. If my review reaches what I ask, I'll post the next chapter hopefully soon.**

**The rest of you who don't review, I hope you like this story. Sorry I can't update as normally or as frequently as I want to, but I also tend to wait to see just how many reviews I can get for one chapter before posting the next. So by all means, REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

~Chapter 5~

"D-Danny..." a soft voice whispered.

The halfbreed's eyes inched open to a bright...moon? It was still nighttime? He rolled over and came face-to-face with Sam, who was about to shake his shoulder if he didn't awaken. Groggily, he complied and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning, "Hey, Sam." Once his vision was fully restored, however, he saw through the light of an almost-full moon that his friend had only the gravest of expressions. "What's the matter?"

She pulled up a small stick that he'd failed to notice. It looked similar to a thermometer, but it didn't have the temperature sensor on its top part. Instead, what he assumed to be a cap hid a blunted end. It had a tiny screen with a digital figure blinking on it. He took it and squinted to make out the little thing. It was a pregnancy test. And the blinking figure was a...plus sign? He mentally slapped himself awake and looked it over, as though there was something he was missing. But nothing about it changed. Hoping it was just his vision blurring or hallucinating, he asked, "Is this a positive test?"

Sam nodded grimly. "What am I going to do? I don't know how to be a mother..."

Too shocked to speak, he merely listened and waited for his mind to find something that would comfort her. But she didn't continue talking. She herself didn't know what else to say. Danny could tell her that everything would work out, but that might turn into a lie. The last thing he wanted was to lie to her, especially after she'd already been through so much. Maybe he just needed to let her know he was still there for her.

He reached an arm out and put a hand on the goth's shoulder, squeezing slightly. This was meant to be for support, but it only added to the pressure somehow, and she started crying, her tears leaving sparkling trails down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do..." she sobbed quietly.

"The first thing we need to do is probably to tell your parents. And then Tucker." When he saw the look of surprise come over her face, he added, "It's better to tell them now so you don't catch them by surprise when you start-" he faltered. There were three golden rules to how to treat a girl concerning her weight, like a manual for guys. Rule number one: Never tell a girl she looks fat. Rule number two: Never tell a girl her clothes make her look fat. And rule number three: Never ask a girl about her weight. Stay inside those guidelines and you were safe; stray from them and break the rules and you were dead meat. Saying 'when you start getting bigger' would break rule number one.

"What? You just _assume_ I'm going to get fat?" she hissed under her breath.

"...I didn't say that."

"You were thinking it! Getting some kinda sick humor out of this, are you?" She grabbed the collar of his shirt and glared at him. By now, any response he said would probably just enrage her even more.

"I...I never...uh... I-It's not funny," he said, glancing down at her belly. Once more, he tried to imagine it much larger than he'd ever seen it. But it was still impossible.

"Don't look at my stomach!" she hiss-screeched. Her offense was very easily seen through angered tones.

"I-I'm not! I swear! I was only thinking about how there was a little life down there!" he pleaded, as though begging her not to pulverize him.

She released her grip, the vegetarian's emotions returning to sad and frightened. "A life that I never wanted..."

He sighed in both relief and pity. This whole ordeal was now twenty times harder on her. "Maybe you could-"

"No!" she interrupted, "I'm not getting an abortion; I'm opposed to animal testing as it is! What makes you think I would want to _kill_ a human life?"

"Uh...okay. But I was actually going to suggest prenatal care and a doctor," he clarified.

She blinked. The teen hadn't thought about the medical aspect of this. The expenses would be easily covered, as her family was filthy rich. But there would be no more Nasty Burgers or ice cream-eating contests. Then, after it was born, there would be no more hanging out and fun time with her friends. Her whole life would literally change for the worst. It wouldn't be about her anymore, it would be about the baby. "You're right... I have to think more rationally."

"Well, maybe not rationally, but more responsibly. I mean, you're carrying a little guy now," he reminded her. Like she _needed_ to be reminded...

"Yeah... And because I'm suddenly pregnant, you're going to ban me from helping you out with ghosts," she muttered.

"Sam, I already think you're a hero," he told her.

This seemed to perk her up a little bit. "How?"

"You're being so strong. If what happened to you happened to me, I don't think I could've handled it. On top of being strong, you're also being brave. You remind me of one of those mighty warriors in the Renaissance times."

"I do?"

"Armor and all," he assured.

She blushed. Was this a real feeling or a mood swing? Then again, did it matter? She liked-no, _loved_, what she was feeling right now. Brave and strong... Since when had Danny ever noticed that about her until just now?

"But, yeah, I don't want you coming along with me to fight ghosts. It's not just because of the baby. You got hurt because of me, because I was there with you," he added.

"But it was thanks to you that I didn't break a few bones or worse!" she combated.

"And then I tried to fly you home. Technus got hold of me, and you got caught up in the fight," he retorted, "And let's not forget that some of this still has to do with the baby."

"But, Danny-"

"No, Sam. I can't let you get hurt like that again." He pulled her into an embrace, making her blush even worse. "In that moment...I was scared. I was scared for your life."

"Why? I mean, I was scared, too...but I don't think I was as scared as you were."

"Just...don't ever do anything like again." He pushed away just slightly enough to let her know it was time to break the hug. "Now, I think you have a phone call to make."

"Who am I supposed to tell them the father is?" she wondered aloud, still not wanting to tell her parents what happened. She didn't want her child growing up with the stigma of being a product of rape.

"Why can't you just tell them what happened?" he asked.

"I don't want them to know, Danny. You wouldn't understand..."

She was right, he wouldn't understand. Nothing like this could ever happen to him. He had ghost powers to defend himself with. Meanwhile, she had nothing. He was a boy, who could never be impregnated. Meanwhile, she was a girl, who already _was_ impregnated. Saying he could make this right would be the understatement of the century. What had been done...could never be undone or healed. He could help her, sure, but time itself could not heal her. It couldn't ever make this better or easier. Maybe time couldn't, at least, but _he_ could. He was here, now, and right beside her.

"Sam, I promise to do whatever it takes to help you," he said quietly.

"Thanks," she said gratefully.

The door opened and the lights turned on. Both teenagers found Danny's sister, Jazz, standing in the doorway. It had been so unexpected that they didn't have enough time to pull themselves together, and their words came out in a mixture of nervous, non-harmonized madness.

"Uh...Danny was just-but then Sam-and all of a-it wasn't even-but then you came-and so we-but you might've-I was just telling him-but then she-"

"Hey, what's that?" Jazz ignored their jumble of parts of sentences that they'd managed to disgracefully throw together and pointed at the pregnancy test Danny held, which was still blinking a little digital plus sign on its screen.

The hybrid evened his gaze and slowly but surely moved his arm behind his back, a desperate last-resort to try to hide the test. Next step: play innocent. "What's what?"

Jazz walked up to him and tried to peer behind him, only to repeatedly find his shoulder blocking her view. "What are you two hiding?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow at both Sam and her little brother and eying them individually.

"Wha-? Hiding? We aren't hiding anything! What gives you that idea?" the goth replied, her fake tones evident.

Danny cast Sam a 'help me' look, but kept a straight face when his sister's eyes landed back on him.

"The fact that Danny won't show me what's behind his back," Jazz answered.

"I'm not hiding anything." The halfa shrugged, and the test slipped out from behind his fingers as a result. "W-Wait, Jazz!"

Too late. Jazz had picked up the test and was already reading it. Her eyes widened to inhuman proportions as she registered what it was and what it said. "D-Danny, whose is this?" Not waiting for an answer on her brother's part, her pupils flicked over in Sam's direction.

Red flags shot up all around his mind as he watched Sam's hopeless expression.

"Is this yours?" Without waiting for a reply, she turned to Danny to continue her assault, "And who's the father?"

"I, uh..."

"C'mon, Sam, surely you know," she said, turning back to the pregnant goth.

"W-Well..." In all truthfulness, she had no idea who that man was. It was no ghost, otherwise, like he said, Danny would've sensed it. What was she supposed to say? Her eyes probed Danny for an answer.

And Danny felt it. Her gaze was hurt and desperate for help. She didn't want to be caught; no one would know about what happened to her. What other choice did he have? After thinking a few short but important seconds, he made up his mind, "I-I'm...the dad."

Jazz's eyes seemed to drill a hole right into his soul. Her disappointment was almost overbearing. It was easy to see she wasn't angry, but could hardly believe the thought of him and Sam having a baby together. "Y-You? But...I never would've thought..."

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. And Sam doesn't want anyone to know until she's ready to tell them. So please don't tell anyone, Jazz," he added.

"I'm your sister, not your mom. You two chose this path, now you have to walk it. And you'd better not leave Sam because of this," she returned, dropping the test at Sam's feet.

Both their faces lit up like red Christmas lights at night. They exchanged quick glances, but didn't speak to each other yet. Their embarrassment would only get worse if they said the wrong thing.

The red-haired teen walked out of the room. She wasn't going to tell on them; she wasn't five years old. Besides, he'd clearly said that Sam was going to tell everyone when she was ready. But as she walked back into her room, she thought about what the baby would look like. Would it have white hair from Danny's ghost half? It would be a quarter ghost, so it would surely have some kind of ghostly trait. Hopefully nonseeable. She knew Danny had worked hard to keep his identity hidden for the longest of times. He'd struggled through many things, his secret being one of them. And if the baby had a clear physical trait of his ghost half, his cover would be blown. But then again...maybe he'd tell everyone before the baby was born.

* * *

"Thanks, Danny. But...why'd you do that? Now she thinks-" Sam started.

"I know. I told you I'd do whatever it took, didn't I?" He smiled a lopsided smile. True, everyone would now think he was the dad because he'd hardly thought about the predicament before speaking, but to Sam, her secret was extremely important. Her parents were the type who'd freak out over the smallest things, so one could just imagine what they'd do about this. On top of that, her dad would probably hate him more, if that was possible.

"But, Danny, I can't ask you to do this," she protested.

"You didn't," he reminded her.

She sighed; he was always so stubborn. That was one thing they had in common. But somehow she felt as though all the pressure was being put on her. Why? Now the baby had a 'known father'; shouldn't this take some of the stress _off_? Maybe it was the fact that they needed to have the same story that was worrying her. What if Danny told a different story than her when she told her parents? And naturally, she'd have to tell his parents now, too. With Jazz thinking he was the dad, and her not wanting to reveal what really happened, his parents needed to be told in order to seal the deal. But how does one do that?

"Uh, Danny. You realize that since you told that little white lie, you'll have to tell your parents. How are you gonna break it to them?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

His face twisted in puzzlement, but he seemed to receive the answer pretty quickly, "I guess we'll just come out with it. Or...maybe on the first ultrasound, we could-"

"Oh...uh... You know, I honestly don't want to have any part of this. I've got the pressure of telling my parents already. You only blurted it out with Jazz. Shouldn't you be the one to tell them?" she advised, more of a statement than a question.

He nodded. It was definitely going to be him, not her, telling his family. "Which only brings us to our next question. How are we gonna tell Tucker? He's not going to believe I'm the dad. He knows us too well."

The vegetarian thought it over for a minute before advising, "We should probably wait. Tucker won't be ready to accept the truth that I'm pregnant. God knows I wasn't."

"Or maybe he'll just assume it when your symptoms start adding up. He doesn't know you fainted or were feeling sick, remember? So when he figures it out, he'll just ask us up front," the halfa planned.

"Then I guess we'll play the waiting game with him. But what am I going to do with my parents? We've got yours down, Jazz already knows, and we have a plan for Tucker. But my parents may very well kill you. Should I wait with them?" she questioned.

"I'm staying out of this one. You now your own parents way better than I ever could. That's the same reason you have to break it to them," he said, sounding wiser than his years. "Tell them any way you find best, but I'm the wrong person to ask about this."

"You're the _only_ person to ask about this," she corrected him. "Maybe if you were with me when I told them, they'd just stay quiet and think. And then we both take off while it's sinking in."

"Seems pretty harsh; I don't want them to hate me more than they already do. And it might not work the way you planned. For all you know, the great hero 'Danny Phantom' could get beaten to a bloody pulp by his friend's parents. I'll be laying on the ground dead and if I'm alive, I'll be in the ER and scarred for life. Not exactly how I planned on dying, Sam."

She didn't object; she could easily imagine her dad renting a steam roller just to run him over with. "Point taken. I'll figure something out. In the mean time, try to get as far away from the city as possible."

He chuckled lightly but took the comment a little seriously. Her dad would undoubtedly come after him. "You forgot, I have the power of intangibility."

"Do what you need to survive. Your life depends on it."

He laughed again at her sarcasm. She certainly was powering through this irreversible ordeal. And with good stamina, too. But for now, they both needed rest. He assumed she'd been sleeping at his house before she took the test, so he made a little pallet on the ground and got on it. Goo old chivalry showed through again as he offered her the bed.

"I don't want the special treatment because I'm pregnant," she stated.

"It's not special treatment. I'm a floor person and I assumed you were a bed person," he lied.

She smiled and reached down to give him a friendly hug. "Thanks, Danny."

**A/N**

**Congrats to all who read this chapter! I hope I kept the characters a little more in-character this time. I honestly didn't know how else Sam was supposed to react to the positive test, so I kinda may have thrown her personality off a bit. Oh, and speaking of the positive test, I decided to make her pregnant because almost every review said she should be pregnant. So, yeah. SURPRISE! lolz Did I scare you? Probably not. XD**

**Okay, and about the review thingamabobber, this time I'm gonna ask for forty (40) reviews. I hope that's not too much... So if less is reviewed, that's fine. (but the minimum will be 37 reviews) Only when I get 37 will I post the next chapter. But keep in mind that I have no idea what to write before I actually write it, so yeah.**

**Here's the replies to reviews posted on the last chapter:**

**_hunnybunny276198_-lolz Glad you like it! And you're welcome.**

**_Kpfan72491_-Thanks! I worked harder than usual on it, since this chapter would reveal whether or not she'd be pregnant.**

**_Rachpop15_-XD You really like KND, don't you?**

**_Codiak_-Eh, I'm not exactly a good writer. I don't have help on my stories, true, but I still think I could be better. And so I strive to write better stories.**

**_Um Hi_-Technically, I just did! lolz!**

**_jiminxx_-Aw, you're flattering me! :D Suddenly I like being flattered! O.O" Uh... More DP fanfics? Y-You're kidding, right? You know how many documents I've got already? 15. It got full, so I plan on deleting suckish stories. But seriously...more? You're insatiable, aren't you? XD That's a good thing, though! I'll see what I can do.**

**Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! And also thanks for not giving me crap via flames. -.- I hate crap... I really do... Anyhoo, for any who may be interested, I plan on somehow starting a new story! I don't know what it'll be called yet, but I do know that it'll be an Invader Zim story involving Gaz and Zim. And it'll be funny! Hopefully. I've already got the summary planned out: "When Zim is accused by Dib of being unable to feel affection for humans, everyone starts getting suspicious. To avoid alien detection, Zim sets his sights on Gaz." Whatcha think? You know it'll be funny 'cause Gaz is Dib's sister. Anyway, yeah. Summary sucks, I know, but the story always turns out better than the summary. At least it does with me.**


	6. Chapter 6

~Chapter 6~

Sam had a very hard time getting up that morning. She'd stayed up too late last night, and now was lazily groaning in her friend's bed today.

"C'mon, Sam! We're gonna be late for school!" he grunted as he futilely tried to drag the goth out of bed.

She groaned yet again, not eager to get up anytime soon, and feeling absolutely no sense of urgency at being tardy. "Don't wanna..."

Danny hooked his hands under her arms and started pulling. Though it took more effort than it should've, he eventually heard the inevitable thud that signaled she was on the floor, and out of the bed.

She got up and rubbed her butt. "That hurt, you know."

"Suspension's gonna hurt even worse. You have to get ready; I can fly us to school."

"I'm not exactly partial to the whole flying idea," she protested.

"It's either me or my dad," he gave.

This woke her entirely. She didn't have anything against his dad, but Mr. Fenton was officially the worst driver in world history. Him flying was beyond better when being compared to a hundred and two percent chance of causing a car accident. "Right, let's go."

Sam grabbed her brush, which she'd brought to his house at some point last night, and began brushing her jet-black hair. She finished with this by pulling up a small portion in the back and propping it up, thus completing her usual hairstyle. Then she rushed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Eating could wait. Or so she thought...

* * *

After making sure no one was looking, Danny turned the lower part of his arm intangible and got out some text books. Sam soon appeared at his locker, her stomach growling angrily.

"Wow. Skipped breakfast?" he asked, his words less of a question and more of a statement.

"Yeah, you kinda pulled me out the door before I had time to even grab a pop-tart," she recalled.

"Sorry, but we had to go. You know Lancer's gonna expel me if I get one more late slip. I'm not ready to face that kind of wrath."

"What wrath?"

"It's only possessed by parents," he said, wiggling his fingers in a creepy manner and trying to make his words sound like Hollywood's ghost moan.

She chuckled before answering, "You're just lucky it's nearing the end of the school semester."

The bell rang, forcing Sam to take out the last of her textbooks and hurry to her first class. Danny and Tucker followed right behind her. A small amount of dizziness caught her by surprise, but she ignored it and took her seat in Mr. Lancer's classroom.

"Alright, I see you're all here today, and none of you are late-" He glared at Danny for the longest three seconds. "-to class."

At that moment, a light flickered off, dimming the area which it was meant to illuminate. It was what happened every time a bulb burned out. Though the class was still visible, the light made a distraction. So the teacher took a broomstick, which he'd kept specially for this sort of 'emergency', and banged the bulb until it came back on.

"First lesson of the day: how to get as much electricity as possible without having to pay for a new light bulb," he deadpanned, as though he was actually funny.

As her mentor began to drone about the 'fascinating events of history', Sam put her chin on her desk and let her eyes slide shut. Normally, she wasn't one to fall asleep in class; this was different. She'd never felt so utterly exhausted in her life, or at least since she could remember. Why this kind of thing hadn't happened yesterday, she didn't know. Maybe because the burst of feelings she'd felt last night drained her, along with the time spent awake. And then she hadn't eaten yet... No energy equals no learning capacity, and leads to an attempt to regain energy: sleep.

The halfa didn't ever object to sleeping, especially when there was a boring teacher talking on about things he never would comprehend. And would never really use in life. So naturally, he, too, slipped into unconsciousness. Eventually, his breathing evened out with Sam's.

Only Tucker, the ace of the class, managed to stay awake. He looked to his left to find that Sam was having either a bad dream or an angry one. Her fists were clenched tightly, her nails burrowing into her skin, she was mercilessly grinding her teeth, and her expression, even in her sleep, was extremely readable. It clearly said: emotionally upset. Almost like a yellow flag popping up from her head with a red exclamation mark in its center.

Danny was entirely different. He was beginning to drool on his books, seemingly not having a dream at all. His snoring was at a minimal for now, but it might grow into a bear-in-hibernation kind of sound. He'd woken himself up with those snores several times already.

Danny was the nearest one he could reach, so he leaned over and violently shook the hybrid's shoulder until he roused with a confused and groggy, "Huh...?"

"Danny," the geek whispered, "Wake Sam up, will you? Looks like she's being tortured in her own mind."

Though his head didn't budge, his eyes fluttered over to his friend. She _did_ look like a mess. Her eyelids were as tight as could be, and her muscles were tensed so much, they were trembling. Obviously she was having a nightmare. He went to tug on her shirt's sleeve, but a low growl escaped the back of her throat, causing him to pause and still himself. What kind of dream would make someone growl in their sleep? But it didn't matter; if he didn't wake her up soon, she might just alert the whole class by screaming. He grabbed onto her short sleeve, and tugged gently at first, then a little harder. It was only about half a minute before she softly groaned and awoke.

Her eyes darted around in fear, trying to get a clear answer as to where she was at. Meanwhile, her brain was trying to register what had happened. It most certainly was nothing in her nightmarish fantasy, but she was in a classroom. Danny had woken her, and apparently this was because she'd fallen asleep. It was something she hadn't planned on doing, but what was, was.

Thankfully, the teacher hadn't noticed any of it and unknowingly continued on about Edgar Allen Poe's poem, The Raven, and why it was so popular in modern day even though it was written so long ago. Not surprisingly, he still maintained a constant monotone, steady voice as he spoke.

"Ugh... I can't stand this much longer..." the individualist grumbled.

Her raven-haired friend yawned and nodded his head in agreement.

"Well, this is supposed to be on our test, so you better pay attention. After all, we've only got about two or three, maybe even four, tests left in the whole semester. It counts for alot of our semi-final grade, you know," Tucker reminded the twosome.

"Yeah, but still... And if it counts for most of our grade, then why do we bother learning it at the beginning of the year?" he asked, not entirely curious to know.

"Because that's the amount of time it takes to learn all of it. And besides, the semi-final exams cover all we've learned so far. That's why I'm cramming when I get home tonight," he replied.

Sam sighed in exasperation. Tests, homework, schoolwork, quizzes, exams, studies, assignments, projects, presentations. That was her life. The only exciting part was hunting ghosts with Danny. But now that she was pregnant, the highlight of her life was going to be taken away. Now that she was pregnant, everyday tasks would become impossible to do. Now that she was pregnant, everyone would think of her as a slut and become disgusted with her. She was disgusted with herself, and it wasn't even her fault. Why did horrible people exist? Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't this all just end?

The halfa glanced over at his female friend. She looked tired and bummed. Perhaps it was a side effect of her pregnancy, but it didn't exactly seem that way. Given what had happened...there was just no way it was a mood swing.

"Mr. Fenton! Pay attention! This is going to be on your semester exam!" Mr. Lancer warned.

His head immediately snapped to the front of the room, where the teacher was giving a demonstration of something he'd missed. It looked like the solar system, but what did the Milky Way have to do with history?

It didn't matter; the halfbreed's senses went off. Freezing breath chilled the air around him.

"Fenton, lay off the Icebreakers and Spearmint! I'm trying to conduct a class!" he yelled, greatly upset with the various distractions his student was causing.

Several snickers could be heard around the room, but neither were from Sam or Tucker. They knew all too well what was happening. Both of them got up and walked to the front of the room, where the teacher was on his last nerve. In hopes of providing a decent distraction for their friend's transformation, they began asking a bunch of questions and pointing to the various objects laying on Lancer's desk.

Danny mouthed a thank-you to them and turned invisible, escaping through the school walls and leaving the premises, only to find Skulker waiting around. He shouldn't take too long.

The fight began with a blast from the ghoul's palm, followed with a ghostly wail. But Skulker put up two barriers at the last second, his attacks breaking both of them but not hitting his enemy.

* * *

"I see... And why does Jupiter have to be so big?" Tucker asked, feigning stupidity.

"Mr. Foley, even I don't know all the secrets of the universe. Such as why pregnant women have such severe mood swings. Now get back to your seat!" he demanded.

"Uh, wait! D-Do you know why they have cravings?" Sam asked, hoping to gain information as well as create the diversion for their friend's mysterious absence.

"Well, as a matter of fact, it's said they have cravings because the foods they crave contain nutrients the baby needs to grow. But I'm a guy, so how should I know for sure?" he replied.

Two people looked at her strangely, as though suspecting her of something. One of these people was Paulina. Oh, God... Most of the time, girls would suspect pregnancy well before boys. It was only natural, since guys were practically _bred_ to be ignorant. Though, Danny didn't seem to be that way. Most of the time.

"And what kind of nutrients would the baby need, Mr. Lancer?" Tucker continued, giving Sam a 'nice save' look.

"Oh, the same ones you and I need," he twirled his hand nonchalantly and added, "But they also need extras, such as estrogen, which lets the baby grow hair, among other things."

"What's estrogen?" the geek played. It was a nice save, with perfect timing. Except he already knew what it was.

"It's a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal glands, Mr. Foley. Though it's evident in all men, women have more of it in their bodies. Part of this is for having babies. Without the necessary amount of estrogen, females simply wouldn't be females. If they would try to conceive but didn't have enough estrogen in their systems, they most likely wouldn't be able to bear a child. However, if they did conceive but still lacked the hormone, a miscarriage would result."

"A-A m-m-miscarriage?" Sam stammered. The news had shocked her; what if this was the case with her? What if she had a miscarriage?

"Yes, Ms. Manson, a miscarriage. Where the unborn child dies, usually from a deformity or lack of nutrients. However, this can also be caused by a disease in the mother. And sometimes, the death is genetic."

Her neck soon had a band of sweat around the back of it, and her body was trembling slightly. A genetic thing? The father...she didn't know him! Him or his medical background! Mr. Lancer's words sent her into a state of panic. A million thoughts of what could go wrong floated around in her head.

"Are you okay, Sam? You look kinda pale," Tucker observed.

"I-I'm fine." She chuckled nervously.

"Are you sure, Ms. Manson? You do seem a bit pale, now that Mr. Foley has pointed it out," Lancer agreed, "Perhaps you should go see the nurse. I think you would be better off if you just rest awhile. Oh, and have her check your temperature while you're there. We don't want a relapse of your illness."

An infamous hero descended from the ceiling, taking a seat and instantly morphing back into his human form. It didn't take a genius to figure out something was wrong. Sam's face was as white as his hair when he 'went ghost'. There was no doubt something disturbing had happened to her while he was gone.

As she walked by him to reach the door, the raven-haired boy teen asked, "What happened?"

"I'll tell you later. Meet me in the nurse's office," the goth answered.

* * *

"Okay, Sam," Danny said as he walked in, "What's up?"

She was on her side on the nurse's bed, and she didn't respond with any movement that might indicate she was still awake. Danny knew she was sleeping after a minute or two; her breathing was steady and even. He sat down in a chair next to the bed, opposite the side she was facing, and waited. He wouldn't wake her up; a girl who was pregnant needed the extra rest. It was good for her and the baby.

"Are you here to visit?" the kind nurse asked softly, so as not to awaken the sleeping goth.

He nodded, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Okay, well you can stay for the time being. But when the bell rings, you have to go. Come back later; by then, she'll be up and running," the lady whispered before walking towards a second door in the back of the room.

He stared at his friend. Sam would never have told the nurse about her current condition. He was just happy to be here for her. After all, Sam needed him more than anyone right now. At least until she got over this whole thing, she needed him. Well, not just her anymore... He glanced to her stomach, which was slightly exposed thanks to her shirt's length. For a third time, he tired vainly to imagine it growing bigger. Much bigger. But only to no avail. On that small frame, there was simply no way he could picture a disproportionate belly.

The thought of her strength crept into his thoughts. She was so...weak. She wasn't nearly as strong as she'd have liked everyone to think. Her nature was stubborn and willful and most definitely independent, but every time she meant to inflict physical damage that ranged form a pinch to a punch, it never hurt. No wonder she was a prime target for the guy who did this to her. She literally couldn't defend herself.

"Danny..." a small, sleepy voice mumbled.

His eyes snapped back up to her face, but she wasn't awake. Was she dreaming about him? Oh, well. At least her torrent of nightmares from earlier seemed to have calmed. He absentmindedly began to hum a tune his mother used to sing to him when he was upset about something. It was some kind of lullaby that always worked on him. Maybe he could tell her he was there if the tune reached into her dream.

A blush started on one cheek, came over the bridge of her nose, and ended at the other cheek. He stopped immediately. It was funny how readable she was when sleeping compared to how she was when awake. The crimson ribbon disappeared almost instantly after he'd stopped humming. Only a tiny smile remained.

Her contagious redness spread to him and became stuck on his face. What was it she was dreaming about? She'd murmured his name, but...did that mean she was blushing at him?

"You, too..." she mumbled softly.

You, too what? What the blazes was she talking about? Even more interesting, what was she dreaming about? He'd have to remember to ask her about that once she woke up. But by the looks of her contentedness, that wouldn't be for a good while.

He got up, knowing it was almost time to go to his next class, and whispered a quick, "Bye, Sam. See ya later."

**A/N**

**Wow. Sorry for the unbearably slow update... It was probably torturous, I know. But the chapter's finally up! So yay! Also, Happy Veterans' Day! In this chapter's A/N, I just want to thank my Paw Paw and my Uncle Ricky. Paw Paw, you're awesome. Uncle Ricky, you rock (but I still wish you would quit the marines...)**

**Oh, and to all you readers who have reviewed, thank you all so much! Those reviews pushed me to finish up this chapter! ^.^ I'm not kidding. And I truly LOVED the way you all went ABOVE what I asked for! Even though the minimal requirement was 37 reviews, you all pushed way past that to 42! How awesome is that? YOU GUYS ROCK! *wipes tear from eye* I'm so proud...**

**Here are your well-deserved and well-earned replies:**

**_Codiak_-XD Yep, that's right! And don't worry, I'll have him running eventually. From none other than *scary tune plays* SAM'S DAD!**

**_Kpfan72491_-Thanks. I thought it was sweet myself. I'm actually quite proud of that part, so forgive me if I brag about it. (which I won't do)**

***(this reviewer had no name but was anonymous)*-That's good, nameless dude or dudett. (not a surfer but a tomboy)**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Yep, part one of the suspense is indeed done. But it's not really a cliffhanger because they won't tell until maybe a couple of chapters later. Tucker will probably be the first to find out. Or at least that's how I planned it... -.-" But my stories hate me and tend to stray off course of what I plan. So I don't know how it's gonna turn out.**

**_VampireGurlxox_-lolz Yeah, Danny's a sweet guy. Alot of stories make him look like a jerk for some reason. I wonder why that is...**

**_hunnybunny276198_-I'm glad you're glad, 'cause that's the whole reason I did that! All you guys kept ranting on about how she should be pregnant, so...**

**_RainingHearts4Ever_-It's good you're hooked; I plan on making this a nice, long story. I will try to update regularly, but no real guarantees. At least not yet.**

**_KP100_-What do you mean 'still following'? Plan on stopping anytime soon? XD I really shouldn't laugh at my own jokes...**

**_um hi_-You're the third person to say that! I'm guessing everyone must've really liked the whole 'Daddy Danny' idea.**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-I hope you like where it's going. By the way, where's it going? I have no idea. I just write whatever comes to mind.**

**I hope you all liked this chapter. Danny and Sam's relationship is starting to show a little, but that will soon change. I hope. Anyway, I'm always up for ideas for the next chapter, so R&R until then!**

**OH RIGHT! I almost forgot! The new quota will be raised again, to accommodate my paranoid mind. I'm thinking that since hundreds of people read this story, I can pretty much go as far as I want, but I don't wanna push too much for reviews, so I won't post the next chapter until I have fifty (50) reviews. Only eight more reviews to reach this number. Not too much, I hope.**


	7. Chapter 7

~Chapter 7~

For hours, Danny kept a steady watch on the classroom door. Flashes of Sam flew through his head: their happy times, their sad times, their fights and spats...and their loving times. So many memories of her played at once in his mind, though he didn't know why. Maybe it was because of the nurse's office. She'd talked in her sleep, and ended up mumbling his name. At first he'd brushed it off as nothing too much, but when she said "You, too..." he'd blushed.

Then again, he'd blushed the time she'd attacked him with a roughly-placed kiss on the lips to protect him from Valerie. That girl really would do anything to keep his secret, well, secret. If she hadn't kept her promise, who knows what might've happened to him? Valerie hated the Phantom, and if she were ever to find out about his morpho abilites, that he was a half ghost, then she might well tell the whole world. Or kill him and then expose him. Either way, the outcome wouldn't be very good. But even though that kiss was rough, she seemed to enjoy at least a small portion of it. Maybe she hadn't meant to do it, or hadn't meant for him to know about it, but she'd smiled ever so slightly when she did that.

And then there was another time with Ember in the way. He'd been put under her spell, and had ended up falling in a forced love with Sam. But what baffled him was that, when he finally snapped out of it, she'd said that part of her liked the attention. Did that mean she didn't want a forced love, but a real one? If it was real, then would her whole self like it?

Dangit, that girl was near impossible to figure out!

A creak from the opening door brought him from his thoughts. It was Sam. She looked well and rested. Thank God for that... He was afraid the bell ringing might've woken her up.

"What happened while I was gone?" he whispered to her as she took her seat.

"A hundred things that could go wrong is what happened!" she hissed back.

Woah. Hadn't been expecting mood swings in the forecast. But for the sake of his life, he wasn't going to tell her it was her pregnant hormones. Expecting ladies tended to respond horribly to that. So instead, he said, "With what?"

The arrow on her mood meter swiveled and pointed to sadness as its random emotion. "With the baby..." she murmured.

Oh, yeah. This was definitely a mood swing. No normal person, unless emotionally inbalanced, would change moods so suddenly. But this was either bad or good, because it was so random Danny never knew which mood she would land on next. Hopefully the good ones...

"The baby?" he said, a little too loudly.

The goth was about to hush him and scold him, but the nearest people turned around or to their sides and stared at him. Then, realizing he was talking to her, their gaze left him and stopped on the pregnant teen. This act caught Lancer's attention, but he was very busy grading papers and couldn't really attend it. Besides, it was a study period. If they wanted to stare at someone, let them. It'd be their fault if they flunked, though.

Paulina had the most suspiscious look than the rest of the class. She seemed to sense something was being hidden from her. And she never liked it when people kept secrets she didn't already know about. "Baby?" she muttered to the pair under her breath.

"Uh... Uhm... H-He didn't say baby, he said..." Sam racked her brain for an answer. What word rhymed with baby that would make sense? 'Lady' was close, but it didn't rhyme! Hundreds of words raced through her mind and she wondered through it all how much time had already passed. "Oh! He said maybe."

Did it fool them? Were they ever going to lift their searing eyes from them? A few figured it was reasonable enough and got back to their studies. But a few people still stared, pondering whether or not she was lying. Paulina, however, wasn't convinced in the slightest.

"Uh-uh." She waggled a finger in a way that said 'no-no' to anyone watching. "You said baby; I know what I heard."

The people who had been fooled now turned their torturous looks back to the pair. Oh, God, please just let this nightmare end already! But God didn't spare them of the relentlessly gazing onlookers. Thanks a million, Paulina...

Tha Latino waited patiently for an answer. And it was clear she wanted the truth.

"Um..." Darn it! Now she had to come up with a different excuse! And since the few people at nearby desks were supecting her of teen pregnancy, she had to make it convincing. "I-It's my cousin's aunt. She's having a baby soon. But we don't know when. Or where. Or if it's a boy or girl."

"Oh, really?" the popular girl questioned. Her suspense was not hidden in her voice.

Sam cast a quick 'help me' look to Danny, who responded with an 'I can't' look. He was a guy; what did he know about catfights? And this might turn into one if she had a bad mood swing. Either way, she had no choice but to bear the wrath of Paulina, who would tell the rest of the school if she found out, by herself.

"Really," she said unsurely.

"I don't believe you. I think you're lying," Paulina pressed.

There were no more openings. The Latino looked totally unconvinced and sat still, waiting for the truth. So Sam decided to play a pretty risky card. The truth card. "Okay, yeah. It makes perfect sense, doesn't it? I mean, obviously I'm pregnant. Can't you see my bulging belly and swollen ankles?" she said sarcastically. Now it was up to Paulina to take it seriously or not.

"Maybe you're too early to show," she combated.

"Oh, yeah, that's gotta be it. And gosh darn it if I didn't know whether or not I had a kid in me!" Sam kept playing along, hoping that eventually her sarcasm would make the girl give up.

Paulina's eyes narrowed, knwoing exactly what she was trying to do. "You're just covering up your tracks. Everyone's going to know if you're lying or if you aren't when you start to show. And you're pretty skinny. I'd say you have about a month to tell the truth before everyone finds out."

That much was true. She was thin, but not underweight. People would figure it out once that small stomach began to swell into a nice little lump.

The girl didn't need wait for a reply; she knew she had her opponent cornered. But she wanted this day to be sweet. Another score for the populars. Aka, the A-listers. This would ensure that her own poularity rate would skyrocket.

The vegetarian knew it was over with. Her little facade hadn't played out as she'd planned. The Latino had won; check mate. "Yeah, okay? It's true... Danny said 'baby' and...he was talking about mine." she breathed. Tears filled her eyes, but she would never allow Paulina to have that extra satisfaction of knowing she'd made her cry.

"I knew it. You losers always look for love in the wrong places," she said matter-of-factly. A smirk of victory grew on her face.

Anger took over and she stood up from her desk, surprisingly going unnoticed by the teacher who was wrapped up in his own work. "I'm not a loser! And I didn't look for love in the wrong place!"

Paulina stood, too and willingly joined in the new argument with, "Then you mind telling me why you're pregnant?"

Sam's fingers curled under the pressure of stress. Her teeth began to grind together, and it was made clear that this wasn't going to end well. She gripped the edges of her desk to keep from smacking her rival sqare in her prissy little cheek. "It's none of your business how I got pregnant!"

Danny listened to the rant go on and on, and couldn't help but wonder once or twice why Paulina hadn't asked who the dad was. Sure, he'd say it was himself, but he didn't want to go announcing it to the world. He slumped back in his chair. Who was he supposed to root for? Naturally, Sam. But he still had a quite the crush on the girl she was up against. Perhaps remaining silent would do well in such an awkward situation.

"Who are you to call me prissy? You're just a slut!" Paulina berated.

This time, tears couldn't be held back. Along with an angry expression, the trails of salty wetness told everyone how badly Sam was getting beat. Several people muttered around the classroom, some wondering if Sam was okay, and others betting on who would win. And any bets that were made were probably on Paulina.

And then there were others still who sneered and snickered at a pregnant teenager.

"Face it, Sam, you're just some other loser's pet. You're just being used! Like a toy!" she continued.

That completely crossed the line for Danny. Sam was his best friend; there was no way he was going to let a crush get in the way of that. Especially not when she was pregnant. He stood up from his desk and moved in front of Sam's, his arms spread wide as though to protect her from something. "Paulina, this doesn't even concern you. Why don't you just sit back down and do your work?" he said calmly, trying to keep an even face.

"Why are-? Oh, right. You're her little loser friend," she stated, as though just meeting him for the first time, "You knew she was pregnant?"

"Yes, I did. And I would've appreciated it if you hadn't made her tell it to the whole class." Anger surfaced, though he tried not to show it. "I heard everything, too. She's not a slut; she's my best friend."

"Only a slut gets pregnant," she said, a serious tone lacing her words.

"Sam's not a slut!" Anger turned to fury and, without anyone's noticing it, his eyes flashed from an icy blue to a ghastly emerald and back. His eyebrows furrowed and he stared at her with such a pained expression that Paulina had to back down. "She's dealt with you're insults long enough! Now you're going to stop!"

"Or else what?" she asked, half curious and half arrogant.

"You don't even want to know..." he growled.

"Let me guess, I get beaten up by you? As if. I have Dash and all the other football players to back me up. What do you have?" She smirked, thinking she had him cornered just like Sam had been.

His teeth clenched even tighter. His eyes shot to a glowing green color and flared. The white ring that usually allowed his transformation appeared, but disappeared just as quickly and he didn't expose himself. But the eyes stayed as a threat. "Let's just say you don't want to mess with my friends. Because if you mess with them, you mess with me. Have I made myself clear?" His irises reverted back to their rich blue color.

Paulina sat back down, frightened, and said softly, "Crystal."

Danny took his seat and glanced around the room before looking at Sam and smiling at her. He figured just giving her the knowledge that he was there would help ease the pain and shock of what she'd heard and seen.

The bell rang furiously at that instant, calling everyone to lunch.

* * *

"Danny, you almost transformed, and right in front of everyone, too," the goth recalled.

"Yeah, well... I couldn't just sit there and let you suffer. I had to help somehow," he combated.

Tucker came to sit right beside them, the look of shock still not gone from his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked his friend.

"I just...and you... How come nobody told me Sam was...? I-I mean-" he began.

"Sorry, Tuck. We just...didn't know how to tell you. We didn't know how you'd react and so we thought you weren't ready for it. We decided to let you figure it out on your own, but...with that outburst from Paulina..." the halfa's voice trailed off in thought.

"Then who's the dad? I guess I can understand if you didn't know how to tell me, but it would be nice if someone could fill me in on the details. Like how far along you are," he said, turning to Sam.

The individualist sighed. "I'm about three weeks. And the dad is..." She didn't finish, waiting for Danny to step in for her. She'd already told him, indirectly, that she was pregnant. Now it was the halfbreed's turn to tell him about the dad.

Danny raised his hand. Since he really wasn't the father, this was much easier to do.

The techno-geek almost fell out of his chair. He pulled back and gasped. "Well, actually that's not very hard to believe. I always knew you guys had a thing for each other, I just never thought you'd admit it."

Both of their faces turned a lovely puce shade, and they looked away from each other. Neither were looking at anything in particular and they seemed to be thinking about what to say next.

"Yeah, that's the Danny and Sam I know. But I have to admit, you two...? You two having a baby? Wow. That came as a surprise," he added.

Danny gave Sam a very quick 'can I please tell him _now_' look, and she responded with a nod of her head. Now that he had the permission to end this, he turned his attention to Tucker and corrected their mistake, "Uh, Tucker, I not really the dad."

The geek stopped chewing his food for a second to make room for his confused look, then asked, "Well then who is?" through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Well, it's just what we agreed on telling people. I-It's not really like that, though. See, Sam was-" he let his voice linger a bit when he saw his female friend grimace. "-walking down a path to her house when she was-" he stopped again when she got up and left to avoid the inevitable answer. This was an extremely touchy subject for her. No wonder she didn't want anyone, especially her parents, to know. She didn't want them acting like it was a huge deal and reminding her constantly that she had been assaulted by some unknown sex offender.

He waited until she was well out of earshot before finally spitting it out, "Sam was walking home three weeks ago and got pounced by a man she didn't know. She escaped, but only after he...raped her."

The poor guy's eyes seemed to bulge out of his head and he nearly choked on his food. "Sam was raped? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He looked over at Sam, who was at an entirely different table with almost no one in it. "And here I thought she was sick... I-I never would've imagined... I wish I was there so I could've stopped it..."

"You dunno the half of it..." Danny muttered, remembering how she'd called out for him numerous times and he hadn't been there to hear her.

Tuck's eyes widened as a new thought dawned on him. "But then if she was raped, that means the kid belongs to..." he allowed his voice to trail off.

The halfa nodded and yelled to Sam that she could come back now, which she took her time doing. He knew why this was; she wanted to make sure there was nothing left to be said. He turned back to Tucker once she reached their table. "But Sam doesn't want anyone to know about her pregnancy until she's ready. So don't tell anyone."

Tucker immediately shook his head. "I won't tell." He turned to Sam with sad eyes and said, "Sam, I just wanna say I'm sorry. I-I wish I'd known... I could've helped..."

She acted like she didn't care, even though she was a wreck inside. "Same thing Danny told me." With those words, she looked in the spoken character's direction. Her expression was completely unreadble, and neither boy knew what she was thinking, but dared not ask.

In an effort to break the silence and bring life back to what was now dead, Tucker suggested they do something later in the day.

"Like what?" the hybrid asked.

"Uh...how about movies?" he gave.

"Anything good out?" Sam countered.

"I dunno. I can use my PDA to check. It'll only be a second," he stated proudly. He talked like he was so proud of himself every time he spoke of technology. It was almost humorous. Scratch that, it _was_ humorous. He was the only one in the history of the school to know that much about technology. "Nope. Nothing we're old enough to watch, anyway."

"Remember that one Disney movie? That one about the horses? It had this mustang of a stallion as the main character and this Indian mare as the love interest," Sam described.

"Spirit?" Danny suggested.

"Yeah, Spirit! That's the one. I remember when I was little, on the day my parents took me to see that movie, I stole several bird eggs and a chick and I snuck them inside the house. I wanted to raise them myself because they were just so cute. But when I got back from the movie theatre, I found they'd died and I was heartbroken. I was so small I didn't understand life and death, but when I saw the chick stiff and still and the eggs really cold, I think it was then that I actually knew what it meant. I remember trying to get the chick, at least, to move and chirp, but it didn't. I think then I realized I wouldn't be able to get it back and it wouldn't chirp or be cute ever again," she recalled.

"You were sad over a baby bird and some eggs?" It was actually more of a statement than a question, but the boys never really understood their friend's animal-saving craze.

"Well, they were lives. Even though I was small, I knew that. So when they died...that's the first time I'd actually comprhended what death was," she retorted.

"What does that have to do with going to the movies?" they asked simutaneously.

"Nothing, but I wanted a change of subject, so I brought up a little portion of my past," she said.

Now Danny knew what it was she was actually trying to do. She was trying to steer them completely clear of the topic they'd just been on not too long ago, her pregnancy. It was deeply connected with her rape, and she had made it clear that she didn't like talking about it or hearing about it. The whole pregnancy thing and people feeling bad for her was just a reminder. And she didn't want to remember any of it. He didn't blame her. Remembering something was simply reliving it. No one would want to relive a moment like that. But he was positive it was on her mind every day, despite her unwillingness to recall the incident.

Tucker seemed to realize the same thing and said, with a hidden hint of sorrow in his voice, "That's understandable."

She caught that whiff of sadness, and probably hated it being there. It would be so much easier if she could just forget. If this whole ordeal was a nightmare. But she knew that even if it was a nightmare, she'd still remember it.

The thought of what was most definitely on the boys' mind crept into her head. "I'll tell them tonight."

"Them?" the halfa asked.

"My parents," she clarified.

**A/N**

**Yay! This chapter was put up earlier! C'mon, cheer with me! No? Oh, fine. Dun dun dun... She's going to tell her parents! What will happen? Well, I'm not telling you! *grins devilishly* However, you can find out in the next chapter or the chapter after that... See ya soon! Or not...**

**New review quota is (I just wanna see if I can pull this off) sixty-five (65) reviews.**

**Reply to all your reviews to chapter six:**

**_Kpfan72491_-Thanks. I dunno whether something bad will happen or not. Let's hope not; it's just a baby, it doesn't deserve to have something bad happen to it.**

**_hunnybunny276198_-You're welcome. I actually just updated Hidden Secrets. I think. I should've... I don't remember. Just check it on my profile and see.**

**_Codiak_-Yeah I already know. Don't worry, I've got a friend who does that stuff all the time! She's too lazy to log in but always seems to have the strength for everything else. XD Don't worry! I'm not giving up on this story so long as plentiful reviews are coming in.**

**_JuneLuxray2_-lolz The classical three-word, writer-inspiring review! XD 'I am interested.' lolz! Funny. Anyways, I'm glad you're into the story and I hope you will continue to review it as more chapters are posted.**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-Wow. Just found it, huh? Well, congrats, I guess! I can't help you with your story 'cause I dunno what House of Night is, but I can help you if you have any Sailor Moon stories. (like, only SM, no crossovers)**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Didja like this chapter better or worse?**

**_RainingHearts4Ever_-I actually am proud of this story. And I guess proud of myself for writing it. And speaking of writing it, when I was writing this chapter, I was listening to the song My Immortal by Evanescence. It's really good but sad. You should check it out sometime!**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Eh, I didn't mention Sam's dream in this chapter because it was her innermost thoughts of fantasy. Kinda private and meant to be kept away from Danny and Tucker. So I couldn't exactly get her to 'say' her dream to them because if she blushed while she was sleeping, there's no way she's gonna say it while she's awake.**

**_VampireGurlxox_-I know, right? He's so sweet to her in the cartoon and yet all these stories have him as such a jerk to her! WHY? WHY I ASK! Wow. So this would be how Danny would act if made into an episode/movie/season? Hm. Cool.**

**_Rachpop15_-lolz What gave that away? She mumbled his name in her sleep! XD Don't worry. Mr. Lancer's not a doctor. He's too boring for that job... Yes, actually, many evil plans are coming. Muahahahahaha! No seriously, I'm gonna put poor Sam through the wringer, worse than what happened in this chapter.**

**_Kagome51_-The reason he isn't is partly because I like angsty things and partly because I just can't picture romantically timid Danny and romantically timid Sam going so far in their relationship as to have a baby. Especially considering they're still in their teens. And yes, Danny is sweet. He is in the cartoon, and mark my words, he's gonna stay sweet in my story! At least until he gets into his fight mode when he's fighting ghosts. Then he gets mad. Real mad. And sometimes cocky. Real cocky.**

**Yep, so those were the review replies, and remember to review! I've asked for a pretty high number this time, and I honestly don't expect it to be reached, but... Oh well. Part of the reason I asked for a higher number is because so many of you read but make no effort to review. I mean c'mon, people! HUNDREDS of you read this thing! Maybe even thousands! Haven't checked my ratings yet...so I don't know. But judging from how many reviews I'm getting, I'd say alot. And I'm nosy so I really wanna know who's reading this thing! I get so excited when I read your reviews! It touches my very soul! Please take the time to review and not skip all my Author's Notes.**


	8. Chapter 8

~Chapter 8~

Sam stopped just inches from the doorknob. Well, stopping was an understatement. She was just hesitating. Telling her parents...how would she do it? They were so incapable of handling that kind of knowledge. And Danny would be toast if her dad started to rage out of control. But she had to tell them before she started to show; she had to tell them now.

Danny lost his invisibility and floated right beside his friend. "What's up, Sam?"

She knew he'd been following her home. In fact, she'd asked him personally to do that. That rapist knew where she lived; not a good thing and definitely not a comforting thought. So she'd hoped that if Danny were, he could ward off any such intruder.

The knob turned and the halfa transformed back into his human self. Now it was regular ol' Danny verses the Fearsome Father. And to think he had no clue how her mom was going to react to such news...

Both the teens went inside to be greeted by a butler.

"Hello, Miss Manson. Hello, Mister Fenton. How may I help you?" he said with a deep, very butler-esque voice. He was dressed in a tuxedo and usually stood by the door around this time, waiting for Sam's return from school.

"Yeah, actually, there is. Are Mom and Dad home?" she asked.

"Yes, they're in the main room," he replied.

Sam thanked him and headed down a long hallway filled with murals into the main room. This room had a big plasma screen TV with HD. Loads of movies were neatly stacked on ebony shelves right beside it. A huge, long couch was in front of them and there were two love seats on the sides, forming a nice little box. In the center of this box was a round brown coffee table with some salted nuts in bowl on its surface right in the center. And there were her parents sitting right beside each other, watching a documentary on a city's mint.

"Mom, Dad," Sam called, turning their attention to her and Danny.

"Oh, hello, Samantha. Welcome home," her mother greeted.

"I...have some big news to tell you guys," she started.

As Sam prepared to reach the real topic by stalling and talking about a bunch of filler sentences, the hybrid braced himself for what would happen when she finally decided to tell them that he was the father. Even though he obviously wasn't. It was surprising that no one ever questioned that. Had anyone who knew them ever seen them kiss or touch each other before? No. Because they really hadn't unless ghosts got involved.

"Samantha, please stop babbling. What was the news you were going to tell us?" her mother's kind voice sang.

The goth sighed. How did they do this even in the movies? "I-I'm..." she lowered her voice dramatically so they wouldn't hear her, "...pregnant."

"What was that, dear?" her father said. Well, they hadn't heard her and now she had to repeat it...

"You know how I've been sick this past week?" she started. Not waiting for a reply, she decided to just spill it all out at once, "I'm pregnant and Danny's the dad." She was so quick in her words that her parents looked startled at first as they let what had been said sink in.

Both their eyes turned to the halfbreed when they finally registered what their daughter had told them.

"You knocked up my daughter!" Mr. Manson screamed, breaking the awkward silence.

Danny shivered at that thought, but didn't respond. He was just there for moral support for Sam; he had no intentions of dying today. So instead he stayed still. Bad idea. Her dad grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground.

This was where Sam stepped in. "Dad, no!" She slapped at her father's hand.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't send him into oblivion!" he demanded.

"Because...B-Because..." She had to think of an excuse. And fast, before something bad happened to Danny. "I love him!" she blurted.

Her and the halfa's face lit up with a nice little tint.

"So it was your choice?" her father asked as he put Danny down.

Sam nodded, still blushing. She knew what her father meant by 'it'.

"You...willingly...?"

Again, a nod.

"Fenton, get out of here. I never want to see you again," her dad ordered, face turning a furious rose color.

Danny wasted no time in doing exactly what Mr. Manson told him to. He'd wanted to get out anyway. Such a situation with such a father wasn't precisely a place where he would belong. But his thoughts were somewhat...elsewhere. Had Sam meant what she said when she told her dad she loved him? The sentence itself made his heart soar, and he felt on top of the world when he looked back on it. But what if it was just an excuse? What if she'd said that only to protect him from her father's wrath?

* * *

"But, Dad, you can't do this to me!" Sam was pleading. Tears lined her face with salty wetness and her mascara was beginning to run, forming lines of black that outlined the watery trails. It was so obvious that something had upset her. Even the dumbest, most ignorant idiot on the face of the Earth could figure that much out.

"Samantha Manson! You are not to argue with me! I will never condone such a horrendous activity!" her dad screamed at her. His face was just the opposite of his daughter's. It was clear he was infuriated with her. There was a dash of disgust wiped on his expression, and it was only deepening with each word his little girl said.

"But you're my parents!" she countered as she tried vainly to scrub off her waterfall of tears.

"And that's how we know you've grown up! You decided that the moment that Fenton kid saw you naked!" he retorted, his anger seeming to override his senses. But that kind of thing never happened to her dad. He'd always maintained reason, even when this emotional state came upon him.

She was far too upset to blush at the comment, despite its untruthfulness. "But...I've always been your little girl, remember?"

"And when your child has sex for the first time, then you'll know exactly how we feel!" With these final words, her dad pointed sternly towards the door. She was to leave. Now.

The shamed goth turned her back to her paternal parent and moved slowly towards the front door, wondering if Danny was still there or if he'd left. The butler that had greeted her stood firmly with a sad expression. He felt bad for what happened to her.

"I...I'm so sorry, Miss Manson... If there's ever anything you need, I would be honored to help you," he offered.

She cracked a sad smile as she passed him. Sam let her hair fall over her face to hide her crying soul from anyone who might be watching. It was only before she opened the door that she wondered how much more torture she could endure before she was finally broken.

She exited her house for the last time. Danny wasn't there. Must've gone home... She knew that once she stepped off the last doorstep, she would no longer be accepted back into her home. And her family was already off-limits. All because of this God-forsaken baby. All because of this little thing that grew inside her, gathering up nutrients to grow and become human. Her eyes narrowed at the thought of it just being there, and she allowed her rage towards it to grow.

All the while she hadn't even noticed when it started to rain. Her thoughts were focused negatively on her baby. The one she never wanted. The one forced upon her. The one that seemed to belong to someone else. And the one that she wanted to strangle, to take out her anger on. Thankfully, it had the protection of her belly and was probably to small to have a head yet.

Rain slid off her hair and skin for awhile, but as the relentless storm continued, she went from dappled to drenched. Rain poured off her her head and soaked her clothes even worse than they already were. Her shirt got baggy and her skirt was beginning to hang a little lower than normal. Even her underwear was getting wet. Uncomfortable, yes, but she didn't even care. In fact, the only thing that could make it worse would be-

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my former acquaintance. Miss me?" a deep voice growled.

She turned her eyes to meet the man's. He was wearing a black ski mask, which made it impossible to see his identity. But his eyes showed well through the slits that he meant only bad intentions. He had before, and he would now. At first, it was the same feeling: she didn't care what he did to her. After all, she'd just been disowned by her parents thanks to his baby. What more could he take from her? But when he started to advance with speed that belied his size, she got caught by his arms and found that he'd somehow managed to tie a long cloth around her head, gagging her. It was so tight, she couldn't get it off. And it hurt.

"Relax, and this time it'll be much easier for you," he purred threateningly.

She tried to scream, but the cloth had caused her tongue to fold up into the back of her mouth, rendering her unable to produce a sound. This, probably more than anything, scared her. Danny would never hear her call for help if she didn't make any noise to warn him. And she'd rather have him rescue her than the police. Police tended to be morons at times and she wouldn't have the patience to put up with that.

The man grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her before she had the chance to run. He held her wrists tightly with one hand used the other to yank her head up by her hair, causing her to wince and squirm. "What're you gonna do? You're too weak to defend yourself. Your friend isn't coming to rescue you. And you're all alone," the man taunted, wishing as much pain on her as possible.

She narrowed her eyes even further to show him her discomfort and anger.

He was nearly wordless after that. Instead, it seemed he wanted to get right down to business. He hastily dragged her behind the dark space in between her house and the one next to hers, her neighbor's house. The space was basically just a tight alley, but it was more obscure than ones seen in movies. A nearby dumpster almost kept the two from entering, but the man and his cargo squeezed through it. Sam realized that this was where it would happen. In a place Danny wouldn't likely find. The dumpster they'd passed would shroud the view of the entire scene, while the gag kept her from making a racket. He'd planned this out thoroughly.

The man pressed her down to the ground with her back facing upward. He sat on her, preventing her from getting up, and took his hand off her hair to pull out another cloth and tie it painfully tightly around her wrists. She couldn't break free of the makeshift handcuffs. The cloth was too strong and it was tied in knots that were way more complicated than a simple shoelace-tie. Plus, this knot was done not once, but three times!

She turned her head to glare at him, being as it was all she could do at the time. What did he plan on doing with her? Kill her? Rape her again? If he planned to kill her, he would've done it sooner. If he planned to rape her for the second time, how would he get her clothes off with her limbs tied up like this? This question answered itself. He pulled out a knife and held it close to her neck.

She closed her eyes so she wouldn't see it coming, but when nothing happened, she opened her eyes again. He was using the knife to cut off her shirt. Did this mean she would have to suffer the pain all over again? Most likely. She was turned over without warning and he continued slicing through fabric. All she could do was watch and wait for it all to end. She didn't dare move or squirm for fear of the blade accidentally stabbing her.

After what seemed like forever, he got off her shirt and skirt, leaving her with nothing but her undergarments on. These didn't take anywhere near as long to cut off. The sadistic man threw aside the knife and mounted the girl. She closed her eyes as tightly as she could and only listened to the sounds before her own muffled voice: harsh breathing, the downpour of the rain, a zipper being unzipped... Then her screams being muffled by the gag. What little noise she managed to make was drowned out by the downpour.

All she could feel was the pain. The ground scraping her back didn't hurt, the sting of the cold rain didn't faze her, and the freezing winds of the storm didn't chill her. The only thing she felt was the horrible pain that seemed to be trying to kill her. She was sure that any second now would be the second she would break in half.

* * *

For the tenth time, Danny checked his phone. He'd hightailed it out when Sam's dad had told him to leave. But something was wrong. Shouldn't their family spat be over with by now? Sure, it was a big thing, but still... And Sam still hadn't called him to tell him how things turned out. Was she too upset? Or maybe she was just mad at her parents. It could be that she was mad at him for leaving when he did. Maybe she'd expected him to stay there.

He morphed into a ghost and flew out, telling himself he only wanted to make sure Sam was okay. His heart told him differently. It told him something was happening, something he couldn't stop. It told him Sam was in trouble. It told him he needed to get to her. His mind wholeheartedly agreed.

The rain didn't help. It was so bad that he could hardly see three feet in front of himself. He could vaguely make out the outlines of buildings and cars, but there was absolutely no detail. He couldn't see the windows on the buildings nor the mirrors on the cars. He couldn't tell what color they were or if they were brick or wooden. But he told himself it didn't matter, that Sam was his only priority, and kept pushing through with immense difficulty.

After what he assumed to be an hour, much too long for his comfort, he found his way to the individualist's house. But her bedroom lights weren't on... Why would that be when it was so dark out already? He flew down from her window to the front door and phased through it. Inside was different. Her parents could be heard having a heated and definitely serious conversation somewhere in the mansion, but Sam was nowhere to be found. He knew this because he carefully scanned every room before exiting the building. Where was she? Surely she wasn't out in this storm. No matter how upset someone got, they should have the logic to stay inside during such horrible weather as this.

A lightning bolt crackled with electricity, and thunder soon boomed after. The entire sky lit up with nature's light show, scaring most little kids and even some adults within their homes. Others were just annoyed at their satellite going out.

Danny wasn't distracted by this. He kept up his search. Since he was nearsighted in this weather, he had to search pretty close to the ground. Lightning allowed some view, but at an extremely temporary time frame. The rain still blocked most of everything, though, even with its help. The winds were probably just as bad. It pushed the rain to sting his face.

He searched close to the grass on her lawn, but didn't find anything. Not a hint, not a clue, nothing. He didn't pay attention as his hair and jumpsuit got wetter by the minute, if Sam was in this storm, she had to be suffering cruelly right now. Besides, he couldn't just abandon her. Not again. Not after what happened the last time he failed to hear her cries for help. Yes, he still blamed himself for that. He would much rather it have been him, but being able to feel her pain and comprehend it was impossible.

He was right about to leave the area, right about to search elsewhere, when he spied a darker, more hidden place. It looked like an alley, but he'd never noticed it before. He'd never even known it was there. The downpour shrouded its presence from his earlier attempts to find Sam, but maybe she'd taken refuge here. But that wouldn't be right...why wouldn't she have stayed inside her home?

He decided it was worth a shot and floated over to the dark spot. It was just barely visible through the heavy rain, but it was definitely there and not a trick of his own worried imagination.

He bumped into a dumpster, not knowing it was there, and proceeded to squeeze through the small entryway that it created. This might actually be a good place to look. Sam was so skinny, she could probably fit through here very easily.

As he went on, however, he became a little disheartened that he would find Sam here, of all places. The heavy rainfall made it extremely hard to see anything. He put a hand over his line of sight, right above his eyes, and tried to see more clearly. No good.

He took two more steps and stopped to look down. Not a moment too soon, either. One more step and he would've trampled the very person he was looking for.

"Sam...?" he breathed. He bent down to inspect her more closely. It was definitely Sam. Her clothes were carelessly tossed to the side and she was left nude. Her hair was so wet that several strands of it stuck together, forming soaked clumps. Her mouth was gagged with a cloth that was, he figured, tied around the back of her head. Her arms were under her back, pushing her stomach up slightly. Blood trickled from a wound somewhere on her head. That would explain why she was unconscious.

He looked closer, not yet acknowledging the fact that she was naked. She was breathing; she was alive.

The spectre looked to her clothes. They'd been cut off. It was impossible for them to cover anything on her. Even her bra, which was black and had lacing on the cups, had been cut straight down the middle. Everything just lay there, sopping wet and torn. How was he going to fly her over the city when she was exposed like this? Oh, right. Duh. He had invisibility on his side.

He put one arm beneath her neck and another beneath her knees and stood up. Her head lolled back. She was out cold. Fury filled him at that point, and he roared out his anger. It wasn't just fury he felt, but a spectrum of emotions. Fury, sorrow, pain, frustration...the list went on.

The ghost lowered his head and nuzzled her neck. "I'm so sorry, Sam..." he whispered as he cried into her.

He turned invisible and flew back to his house, cradling the goth tenderly in his arms.

**A/N**

**Well, whatd'ya think? Worth the wait? I sure hope it was. I know this chapter was really sad, but I'm sure the animators won't really do this to Sam. Besides, I put in another rape scene for two reasons: one, because I didn't really describe the first one; and two, because I wanted a moving moment with Danny and Sam. I thought this would be perfect.**

**Before I tell you all what the new quota of reviews is, I just want to say, "YOU GUYS ROCK!" so I will. YOU GUYS ROCK! I can't believe you went over what I asked! That was so unexpected but I loved it! Your reviews were all so awesome and great and AWESOME! Did I mention they were great? Omg, I'm so excited! (see how much better I write the more reviews I get?) lolz But really, I cannot BELIEVE you all went over that high number of reviews! I don't know if I just lucked out, or if you guys really love this story THAT much! :D I'm truly touched, I really am. To thank you all, I'll get started on the chapter right away!**

**Ah-hem! Without further ado, the new quota of reviews is eighty (80) reviews. (I just wanna know if you'll all do it. You probably will; you all are a very persistent bunch.)**

**And now for your well-deserved replies:**

**_Kpfan72491_-lolz Thanks! Awesome review.**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-Yeah, well...her grandmother wasn't in this chapter. Maybe she'll appear in later chapters. I dunno. M'kay. I wish you the best luck there is!**

**_JuneLuxray2_-XD Yep! Don't ya just LOVE cliffies? I don't; I hate the snot outta them... -.-"**

**_SpaceCaseWriter_-Technically, they did flip. But they took it out on poor Sam. Stalk away, I'm fine with it.**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Wow, you were? lolz! On the edge of your computer? Whew! You really feel the emotion I put into this story! I didn't think it was possible! But, yeah, I do pack alot of emotion into this. Be it mystery, confusion, sadness, or love.**

**_VampireGurlxox_-It drew me in and I wrote it... O.o lolz Yeah, he is sweet. And I'm still mad at all those stories that make him a jerk! (ya hear that, you filthy stories?)**

**_Calselse_-Well, ya just found out, so I hope you like. Or maybe you don't 'cause it didn't turn out very well. Hm. Idk, I'll just update hopefully soon.**

**_Kagome51_-As you now see, they did stick to it. And since they told Jazz, that's the reason they had to.**

**_Codiak_-Kewl! My first I-pod review! :D Yes, the little joys such as computers. And DS. And all other electronics. Oh, I just noticed your username is that camera brand.**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Erm, Paulina's a girl. Hitting her would undoubtedly go against Danny's morals. Nope, it didn't go well with her parents, did it? And to think that if she just stayed inside...**

**_Samara_-lolz Just wait 'til she starts to show. THAT will be good.**

**_Claudia Skyangel_-Well, thank you for reviewing. That was very kind of you. *shrugs* Meh, it adds mystery, I guess.**

**_hunnybunny276198_-You're welcome and I'm glad you liked it!**

**_jiminxx_-Wow. I wonder which one of us is more excited! lolz! Probably you because I know what's coming up next.**

**_RainingHearts4Ever_-Wait no more then! And you just read how it all went down. Now you can wait for the next chappie! Yay! **

**_KP100_-I know I can, but I know I shouldn't. lolz DANGIT! Doesn't it? I thought it did. "Daddy Danny" XD DARNIT!**

**And there are our lovely reviewer's replies. Thank you to all who took the time, even you anonymous ones, to review! And thank you to the rest of you who read the story! CMF, out. *makes a peace sign with my fingers and walks away* See you next chapter, bye! Or not... *smirks devilishly***


	9. Chapter 9

~Chapter 9~

Already enraged from what he'd just seen, and from what he was looking at now, Danny Fenton struggled with the knife. When was his mother going to buy some new scissors? The ones they currently had were broken. But the cloth that bound his most precious friend was strong; maybe too strong for him to break. Yes, she was still unconscious. Thank you, God, for that. She was still naked, and he had no way of putting any clothes on her until he could get this stupid binding off her hands! He would've chosen her face first, but her hands were bound so tightly that they were turning blue from lack of circulation.

He clenched the knife in his teeth and attempted for the seventh time to untie the first knot. But the stubborn thing wouldn't budge, let alone come loose. He knew this was bad; he had to get her under some covers or into some clothes. Any warmth would be good right now. But he blushed too hotly at the thought of him snuggling up against her while she was 'o-natural'. She was still soaking wet, making it harder for him to keep looking at her without constantly averting his eyes. Her temperature was dropping by the minute, and he knew that he needed to cut the cloth off her wrists before he could get her under the covers. Thankfully, she was already on the bed. Unfortunately, she was naked and wet and on the bed.

He'd thought about using a small ecto-ray to just blast it off her, but he couldn't risk hurting her in the process. She meant way too much to him. Tucker, maybe a last resort, but Sam? NEVER! Hurting her was like hurting his soul! He felt pain with her, he laughed with her, he helped her. But then...he really hadn't helped her. Because-_again_-he wasn't there, she now lay unconscious on his bed. And he knew exactly what had happened to her. Because he wasn't there, she'd been raped. Again.

He managed to cut a small rip in the cloth, made stronger and slipperier by the rain. The hybrid was instantly brought back to Earth by this achievement. One rip was all it needed to come clean off. But it would still take awhile.

The goth groaned, just now coming to. Her head was throbbing, but when she tried to reach a hand up to touch the ailing spot, nothing happened. Her eyes shot open. Was she still in the alley between her and her neighbor's houses? No. She was on Danny's bed. Why? How had she gotten here? A sharp tug on her arms caused her to glance over her shoulder. Danny was cursing at himself under his breath as he tried to free her from her shackles little by little. Something about 'why hadn't he known' and something else about 'if only he'd been there earlier'. And many similar things like that.

A shiver ran up and down her spine when she finally realized she was completely exposed. Not a single piece of clothing covered her. But the strangest thing was...she didn't care. As long as it was Danny seeing her like this and no one else, she didn't care. Not that she _wanted_ to show herself to him, but she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea. However, it wasn't because she liked him that much. Something in her...had changed. During the second rape, something inside her had snapped. The world suddenly meant nothing to her. She was alone, stranded in a desolate place where shadows of her past life lingered, but were long gone. Memories flooded back to her. Her parents kicking her out. The man talking. Being raped for a second time by the same person.

Danny had found her. It wasn't his fault. It was hers. She was so stupid to stay in one place. She should have gone to him for help when she had the chance, but instead she chose to stay put, practically begging to suffer once more. Had she not learned the first time? Men were dangerous, and though she didn't think of Danny that way, it was the truth. Dash, Tucker, even Danny. They all had the power to hurt her if they chose. She knew the halfa would never even consider it, but how could she be so sure about any other guy? There was one surefire way of ensuring she could never feel that pain again.

"Danny..." she moaned. No, this wasn't wallowing in self-pity, this was a death wish. And although she knew what she'd said wasn't really 'Danny'-thanks to the gag still on her face, she also knew her voice would reach him. Her sole intent was to let him know she'd woken.

He stopped what he was doing to try to pull the cloth off her hands, or her hands out of the cloth. He grunted a quick, "Oh, you're up."

Though her body was suffering enormous amounts of pain from her already-numb hands and the force of pressure being put on her arms, her soul couldn't feel a thing.

He threw the knife across the floor and tried to bite down on the cloth to tear it, if slicing wouldn't work. That didn't work at all. He picked up the knife and began sawing away at the impossible piece of cloth. "This is really hard to do; sorry for any pain."

She shook her head. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault. It was all her fault. It was all her fault. It was all her fault. _"You're all alone."_ the man's voice echoed through her head. Was she really all alone? No one else seemed to be hurting like she was. She was all alone.

This pain was unrecognizable to the poor girl. She no longer had a sense of reason, only confusion. Which way was the right way? What should she do next? Would she ever escape this kind of horrible nightmare? Or would her nightmare remain a reality forever?

Danny finally cut the last shreds of cloth away and managed to dislodge her wrists from them. He sighed in relief that he'd been able to save her hands from amputation, but grunted with the thought that now there was her face to do. He propped Sam up and made sure her back was facing him. As he'd earlier suspected, the cloth was tied behind her head, in the same knot that was done on her hands. But thankfully, this piece of cloth had only one hard knot, and not three of them. "I'm gonna have to cut it off; try to stay still."

Who cared if she was accidentally stabbed to death? Cinderella and Snow White and Rapunzel and even Sleeping Beauty all had happy endings. But the way things were going, it didn't look like she was going to have one. Not every girl, she realized, had a knight in shining armor.

Her head jerked back and she realized it as being a non-benevolent side effect of the blade Danny wielded. Maybe he was her knight... _"You're all alone."_ the voice told her. He'd said that every time he'd raped her. _"You're all alone."_ And she would always be alone. How many other girls had to deal with being twice raped? None of them. After the first time, the men were either caught or they left the girl alone. Nuh-uh, not her. Her guy was still at large; still preying on the innocent. Still targeting her.

The halfa cut through the last few strands of fabric, taking some of Sam's wet hair out with it. He held up the cloth pieces and showed them to her. "You're free at last," he muttered.

She closed her mouth for the first time in too long. Then she rubbed her wrists and stood up, still very aware of her nudity. But she still didn't care. "Thanks, Danny." Wow, talking was like an entirely new experience. She had just gone from not being able to make a sound to talking whatever it was she felt like saying.

The hybrid looked down and blinked away tears. "I don't blame you if you're mad." He was mad at himself.

"I'm not mad. I'm fine." Hurting and sore in places no girl should ever be sore and definitely not fine.

He rummaged around in his closet until he found a shirt he assumed would be big enough for her to wear. It was a little large on him, so it should cover enough on her. He handed her the shirt and tossed her pair of jeans. He didn't have any that were too small for him, so he expected it not to fit her very well. "It's all I have right now."

She tried on the shirt first and it hung down to her lower thighs. The short sleeves showed a little bit of side cleavage, but as long as she kept her arms a certain way it would be fine. The pants were different, however; they kept falling down and she was sure that not even Danny's belts would help her. It was a good thing the shirt covered her lower areas. "Thanks."

He literally lapped in the sight of her with his shirt on. That shirt was way too big for her, and it covered just barely enough to be legal. She looked just too darn cute in that thing! "It'll have to do," he told her, trying to hold his thoughts at bay and trying not to let his blush show. He cleared his throat and continued, "You should probably get under the covers; you need to rest."

"I've gotten plenty," she combated.

He was tempted to, at the very least, give her a hug. Maybe that would've lead to a kiss. But now wasn't the the time nor place. Besides, what right did he have to be with her? He'd promised to protect her; he'd failed miserably. Plus, it was likely for her to find someone else, someone who could offer her more than him. His mind growled at the thought of another guy offering her _anything_. "Are you hungry?" he asked, ignoring the baying dogs in his mind.

Actually, she was a little sick at her stomach right now, but she didn't want to turn down his hospitality. "A little bit." Wait, spoke too soon... She put a hand on her stomach and breathed deeply.

The halfbreed seemed to know what this meant and pointed toward the bathroom, only to have her shake her head. It was only when she thought it may be too late to reach the bathroom that she rushed to it. And just barely made it, too. In just moments gagging and a splattering sound could be heard.

Throwing up had to be the worst feeling in the world. You never knew when you were actually going to stop, and your throat burned every time. All the while, you couldn't take a drink because you would just puke it back up. And so your throat continued to burn, as well as your stomach. And then there were your eyes, which would produce tears solely to blur your vision. It was as though your whole body was punishing you for all those fast-food restaurants.

Danny went in and held her hair back from her face. Lots of other guys, he knew, would be grossed out by this. But Sam was his friend, he needed to be there for her. Besides, it's not like she could help it. And she probably didn't like having to put up with it. It wasn't her fault, nothing had been. If anything, it was his fault for not coming to her aid the first time. And then there was the second time... Surely she must hate him by now.

"Sam, if you weren't feeling well, you could've just told me," he said softly. Last thing he wanted was to upset her, especially after what happened.

She weakly lifted her head and thanked him for holding her back. Her mother used to do this when she was little. She used to get sick often, usually ill at her stomach. Her mother had always pulled her hair into a ponytail and rubbed her back. But that was long ago, before she was a teenager. Before she'd been raped. Before she'd gotten pregnant. Before they'd kicked her out. Before everything bad had happened.

Danny didn't have a hair band, so he took one hand and clamped it around the base of her hair to form a makeshift one. His other hand caressed her back, trying to ease the burning sensation that came with throwing up.

After several minutes, she stopped. Everything she'd eaten from earlier that day now lay upchucked in the toilet. She reached up and flushed it, embarrassed that Danny had to see that. Before she had time to grab some toilet paper, the nearest thing to clean the rims of the seat with, Danny pulled her up and lead her into his room, where he forced her to lay on the bed. It wasn't in a lustful way, not like that man had pushed her onto the ground or against the side of a building, but it was in a caring way. He pulled the covers over her and told her she needed to get some rest, that she needed it more than she thought.

"I'm fine, Danny. Really, I am," she insisted.

He smiled tenderly and let an emotion he knew she wouldn't understand surface in his eyes. She would know what this was later on, but for now he decided it was best to let her wonder. "I just want to make sure."

A tint clouded her face and she rolled over. It didn't take very long for her to fall asleep; she was fatigued as it was.

The halfa kept his smile as he watched her sleep. Minutes went by, and then hours. And then Jazz came in, snapping him back from his trance-like state.

"Danny, are you gonna-" she stopped when she saw Sam resting. "Uh, what's she doing here? I thought she was at her house."

He turned his head to face his sister and answered, "She just came by to copy some notes. Then she got tired so I told her she could sleep here for awhile."

"But this is your room, and- Never mind... I probably don't even want to know," she said, waving her dismissively.

"It shouldn't come as a shock to you; she's pregnant," he reminded his older sibling.

"Yeah, it's hard to forget that. It's yours, remember?" she returned.

"How did you think I'd forget that?" Before she could reply, he pushed her back out the door to his room. "She needs her rest." This comment had almost too much truth to it. No one who was expecting should be put through that much stress in one week. And though Jazz didn't know over half of what happened to her, Danny knew and hated it. Hated it with a passion. And it wasn't just for someone pregnant, but anyone period! Sam had been put through pure torture, and anyone who was Danny or Sam would know that.

He returned to his position prior to Jazz's appearance. Another bullet dodged, he was now content just to sit and keep an eye on her. The whole time she was sleeping was filled with memories of the good times, before this chain of bad events occurred. Ghost-hunting, the Nasty Burger, payback on Dash, and those few moments of romance they'd had. But it was so strange that they never admitted their feelings. Maybe it was him; girls liked it better when guys made the advances. Maybe he was just too shy. True, he'd seen her nude, but at what cost? The closest they'd come to love was holding hands; what kind of relationship was that?

He'd actually planned several times to tell her how he felt, but he would never come around to actually doing it. Why? Why did it have to stay such a secret? He'd already pictured Sam and him kissing in the halls of the school with no one sneering because they knew they were an item. He'd imagined what her lips tasted and felt like. The halfa thought they would taste like whatever lip gloss she wore and felt smooth. Why couldn't that have happened? It had to be him; he was very timid around her.

That moment, the halfa resolved to start making more...bold...advances toward her. And then he would gather up as much courage as he could and tell her how he felt, even though she would probably have figured it out by then. No matter; he needed to tell her not just for her, but for himself as well. He was determined to establish some kind of beyond-friendship relationship with her.

**A/N**

**Okay, I am SO sorry for not being able to post this! I was cramming for a French test, and I forgot everything I learned from last year and some of what I learned this year. Sucks, I know, but I managed to get this chapter finalized! YAY! And BOO for school... lolz, Boo! Get it? It's a Danny Phantom story? Boo? lolz Yeah, not funny... Okay, so I know much wasn't going on in this chapter, but now we know what was going on in Danny's head. And some of Sam's head, so yeah. Um, not much else to say, is there?**

**Except this: OMGGGGGG! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ALL! 86 reviews? SERIOUSLY? OMGOMGOMG! I didn't even think it was possible for you all to do that! *squeals in delight* THANK YOUUUUU! THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU! OMG THANK YOU! ...THANK YOU! Okay, right, new quota, lolz sorry about that but I'm so frikin excited! I wanna see if you'll all do one hundred (that's 100) reviews. Not as many as I asked last time, it just sounds like more. (THANK YOU!) (btw, what kind of advances do you think Danny's gonna make?)**

**M'kay, so I'm sure you're expecting and maybe even looking forward to reading your replies. And I think you've DEFINITELY earned them, so here they are:**

**_um hi_-I hate him, too. I even hate writing about him, which is why the last chapter was kinda hard for me to post. And yes, HE DESERVES TO DIE! To perish! To burn in the insanity that is Hell!**

**_VampireGurlxox_-Oh, really? I didn't know that. Wow, so I've been getting I-pod reviews all the time? Cool! :D**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Yeah, I didn't know what would lead to the second rape scene, so I kinda got lazy and threw it in there. Sorry if it came too suddenly. Aw, cool! I'm honored, truly am honored, to be your fave!**

**_KP100_-XD That's it? No "Man, he's evil."? Just bad parenting? XD Too funny! Technically, she just got raped. Twice. I'm not making her fine anytime soon. Especially since being raped just once is a traumatic thing to experience.**

**_Codiak_-lolz, yeah, it happens. Thanks, I like to keep my readers on the edge of their seats. And I like to write stories that move them to tears.**

**_JuneLuxray2_-I know, right? I felt bad for her when I was writing this... T.T**

**_RainingHearts4Ever_-Aw, thanks! That's quite flattering of you! -^.^- lolz Wait no more, fair citizen (of whatever country you live in), I have, at long last, updated.**

**_Samara_-Oh, I totally. agree. Why can't I just let the poor girl have a break already? Geez, what's wrong with me? Good point, I hardly put the mother in the conversation... XD Yeah, pink would've sealed the deal, huh? lolz Yep, I like the butler, too. I gotta think of a name for him, though... How does 'Hotchkins' sound? lolz (There I go again, laughing at my own lame jokes...) Darn right he won't! I plan on making him stay by her every step of the way.**

**_youngarteest8_-Why are you disgusted with her? It wasn't her fault. You think so? I thought the poem was a nice touch to the story. Yeah, it's horrible. That why I did it. Woah, you were crying? Gosh, I hope this story isn't too powerful... Might have to tone it down a bit. Meh, don't worry about that. Sam's already got a light at the end of her tunnel. Danny. You really felt what I felt when I was writing this story, then. And thanks; I'm happy to have a fan!**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-I don't really know whether the grandmother is going to be in later chapters. It's been so long since I watched the show I completely forgot her personality and all that... T.T Poor Granny. There was quite a bit of emotion, wasn't there? I also think I nailed her parents just right. I'm glad I wasn't being vain for thinking that! Don't worry, that guy's gonna have what's coming to him.**

**_Kagome51_-Of course she won't hate Danny; she acknowledges that he couldn't have known. She even said in one chapter, "I just needed someone to blame, and since I called for you, I naturally blamed you."**

**_Kpfan72491_-Thanks. You just saw what happens next! lolz!**

**_hunnybunny276198_-I like how you described chapter eight. "Mind-blowing." Nice!**

**_rin916_-Yeah, alot of people don't take rape very seriously. But in truth, you can get all kinds of diseases, become pregnant, and let's not forget you'll be permanently scarred for the rest of your life. I wrote this story to raise this awareness. Naturally, I wrote it for my readers as well, but my topmost reason would be to raise the awareness of the traumatic rape situations.**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Hm, well, you know what they say, "Curiosity killed the cat." Don't be the cat. Or the bird 'cause cats kill birds. AND STAY AWAY FROM THE EVIL MICE PEOPLE!**

**_Gracie407_-It would be a major understatement to call him stupid. He's managed to elude Danny's grasp and capture Sam three times. Plus, he had the last rape pretty thoroughly planned out. I realized that as I was writing it.**

**_sofa_-lolz He'll get what he deserves, rest assured.**

**Thank you to my wonderful reviewers for simply reviewing! Even those of you who had nothing much to say really helped me finish up this chapter and get it posted. Thank you all! Oh, and a special thanks to my reviewers: _Codiak_, _VampireGurlxox_, and _hunnybunny276198_ for being not only the first reviewers ever, but for loyally reviewing every chapter of this story.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

~Chapter 10~

Sam had slept through the entire night. The storm hadn't completely gone away yet; the rain and lightning still lingered around. But the downpour had stopped. No, it wasn't a light drizzle, but it was finally just regular rain. Regular rain alongside a thunderstorm. Perfect weather for walking to school in.

The goth was wearing her usual clothes instead of Danny's shirt; Danny had gone out to get them from her house last night. He'd taken the liberty of morphing into Danny Phantom and avoiding any contact with her parents. But Sam hadn't yet told him she'd been kicked out. She honestly didn't know _how_ to tell him. You see lots of movies and read lots of books, but they're fairytales. The truth was always much harder to accept. Boy, if only this was a movie, where she was simply acting it all out.

Today had to be even worse for poor Sam. The girl could hardly walk! Smack in between her legs was excruciatingly sore. Last time, she'd gotten away on her own, but this time, the man hadn't allowed that to happen and made sure he did the damage thoroughly. Now the pain was almost crippling.

The halfa seemed to sense something was wrong and asked her daringly what was wrong. It was daring because he didn't know if it was something that would upset her or relieve her to talk about.

Sam turned her head and smiled at him, telling him she was fine and that it was nothing to worry about.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" a voice greeted them at the school's entrance.

"Nothing," they both said simultaneously.

The friends got into a conversation that lasted for only about five minutes before the bell rang loudly and clearly. The usual routine happened, with no incidents from Sam's pregnancy. That's right, no fainting or vomiting or cravings. Hallelujah! In fact, the only problem was sitting down in those ancient torture devices called 'desks'. Certain areas on the individualist wouldn't allow her to sit properly without a painful complaint. So she'd had to adjust to sitting slightly tilted. Possible, yes; comfortable, no.

Danny and Tucker were already outside awaiting their friend when the last bell of the day rang. They'd just gotten out of study hall and the halfbreed had decided to pull Tucker outside to talk to him about Sam.

"Alright, what's going on? You don't just drag someone away from the rest of society for nothing," Tucker whined.

The hybrid thought quietly for a second, pondering how to ask his friend for such advice. Oh, wait! Duh, the old 'I have a friend' tactic! "I have a friend who's trying to get this girl. But he doesn't know what to do. He's really shy around her, and he doesn't know whether or not she likes him back. I need some advice for him."

A smirk grew wide on the geek's face. "And...who might this friend be?"

Think, think... "He's, uh...a pen pal who lives in...Sri Lanka. And he's really nice-"

"What's his name?"

"Arnold. His name is Arnold. He moved to Sri Lanka from...uh, Alaska," he lied. This wasn't turning out how he'd expected. Ah, well. Playing it smooth never counted, it was playing it out that sealed the deal.

"And what's this girl like?" the techno-geek continued, knowing this card all too well. The nerds in school always used this trick, and thus it became easily recognizable and as old as daylight.

"Oh, you know...she's independent. Um, strong-willed. She's a goth. Looks cute when she wears a shirt that's too big for her," Danny described.

The grin only grew wider. "It's you and Sam, isn't it?"

The halfa's face paled. "What? No! Of course not! What makes you even so much as _think_... I mean, I don't know what you're talking about!" Yeah, it hadn't played out, either, had it?

Tucker slapped his forehead. "Okay, okay. So, about this friend... The girl sounds alot like Sam, and Arnold sounds alot like you. Maybe Arnold needs to let her know he's into her."

"How?" Danny asked.

"I dunno. Maybe he would meet her in secret places. Girls love that romantic stuff. But, honestly, each girl is different. Some like to be given a heart-shaped box of chocolates, while others like expensive jewelry. And then some don't like getting all those presents. Some just like knowing the guy is there for them. With you-I mean, Arnold, I would suggest just asking her out first," he said.

The hybrid thanked his friend and waited for Sam's appearance.

It had to be at least five or ten more minutes before she showed up at the entrance of Casper High. She had to look way better than she felt. Her lower areas were still sore-and probably would be for some while-and she had become aware of a tightness in her abdomen sometime in the middle of the day. What would come next? Those huge maternity pants? Lower back pain? Swollen ankles? Or D, all of the above? She figured it would most likely be D, all of the above.

"Hey, Sam!" her friends called for her when she was in hearing range. Hearing range during the end of the day was about five feet away from the person speaking. This was because in all the insanity that was high school, you couldn't hear much over all those cheerleaders cheering and football players playing. Let's not forget the other voices, like the art class debating on what to paint next. Such things like that were just annoying.

She walked up to them, trying to hide the soreness she felt while moving her legs. "Hey, guys."

"Danny has something he wants to ask you," Tucker said, holding back the bubbly laughter. In his mind, he was just happy Danny was finally taking the initiative. He took a step back, wanting to listen in but also wanting to give them a little bit of privacy.

The goth turned her attentions toward Danny and awaited his question.

The halfa felt himself grow nervous and took a deep breath to calm himself down. Last thing he wanted was to have a nervous breakdown in front of her. "Uh, I was just wondering if...you wanted to...you know..." Was this a good time to ask her? What would he say?

"Do I want to what?" she asked, blushing just slightly at his comment.

Another deep breath was taken, as well as a quick glance at Tucker. "You wanna do something later?"

She shrugged. "Sure, what are we gonna do?"

"I dunno. Maybe we could go to that vegan restaurant you like," he suggested.

"I'm not sure Tucker would like a vegan place. He's a full-time meat-eater, remember?" she said.

"Oh, I'm not coming; it'll just be you two," the geek intervened. He winked at Danny, wishing him good luck. Anyone would need good luck if they liked the kind of food Sam did. Maybe just a salad would do. It would probably be the best thing on the menu.

She turned back to Danny. If Tucker wasn't coming, then could this be called a date? Was he asking her out? It would be horrible if she were to make the mistake of thinking of it as a date when it wasn't, but the way it sounded, with just the two of them all alone, it looked like a date. She blushed fully at this thought. A date with Amity's greatest ghost hero who happened to be her best friend? "Uhm, s-sure."

He let his smile appear only slightly, trying to be as cool as he could be. Unfortunately, cool wasn't Danny's specialty and as he was walking out of school grounds, he tripped over a fallen branch that, he was sure, wasn't there yesterday. Must've been a lightning strike.

* * *

Valerie looked back down at her latest technology, a ghost radar. The little screen showed a lone red dot bleeping on and off the screen. It's exact coordinates were right where Danny was standing. "Well this can't be right."

She shook it, thinking maybe something was dislocated inside the device that she couldn't see. But there was no clank of metal to indicate her suspicions to be correct. "What's going on with this thing?" she asked herself. "Stupid malfunctioning piece of-"

"Hey, Valerie," a voice chirped behind her.

She turned around and smiled innocently. Before her stood a blond-haired girl with a flower-shaped barrette in her hair. It was Star, also known as The Gossiper. "Hey, Star. What's the news this time?"

The blond seemed to know that everyone thought of her as the gossip girl of the school, but she honestly couldn't care less. She loved her job of spreading rumors and being the first of the grapevine. "Okay, so guess what I heard in History yesterday!" She continued immediately, without waiting for a reply, "I heard Sam Manson say she was pregnant!"

A serious look appeared on Star's rumor victim. "Sam? As in, Danny Fenton's friend? She's pregnant?"

The blond ditz nodded and added, "And some people are saying Danny's the dad."

Valerie took a second to look over at Danny and then back at Star. "Are you sure you know what you're talking about? I've never seen them-" Hold up a second! She _had_ seen them kiss. It was during a ghost fight, but she had definitely seen them kiss. Danny was on the ground, with Sam on top of him. It looked more like an assault, but neither seemed to be opposed to the kiss. And it wasn't weird that they were in the bushes because anyone who even vaguely knew them knew they were very timid in their relationship. So to go so far as to have a baby? Maybe it was unintentional. Though it still came as a shock, it wasn't very hard to believe Danny to be the dad.

"Others are saying Tucker's the dad, but I think it's Danny. What do you think, Val?" Star asked.

"I...I don't know. But it's their business, not mine. You know, you really shouldn't be spreading those kinds of rumors around, Star. Sam's probably got it hard enough with her parents knowing about this. She doesn't need any more stress from school. It's not good for her, let alone the baby," Valerie replied.

"I'm not the one who started this one. Sam told Paulina right in front of the whole class. I was just an observer. But because Paulina heard it, the rest of the class knows. And at this school, gossip travels fast. If she didn't want anyone to know, she shouldn't have said it. In fact, I think she shouldn't have gotten pregnant at all, but it's not up to me," she said.

Valerie sighed. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't on purpose. I mean, no teenager I know wants to raise a kid so young."

Not it was the blond's turn to sigh. "Yeah, but then that comment makes her look like a slut."

She gasped and waved her finger in Star's face. "Now don't you go telling people that!"

The Gossiper put her hands up defensively. "I won't, but I'm just saying... Most of the school probably thinks that."

The victim of Star's usual gossip dropped her gaze. She knew it was true. People would believe just about anything nowadays. And false assumptions were often made based on rumors and mishearings. News traveled fast; poor Sam would have her work cut out for her come tomorrow.

She glanced back at Sam, who was just disappearing from view with Danny in front of her and Tucker in back. Her expression couldn't be seen; her back was towards Valerie. But it didn't look like she was sad. Oh, she would be. People always found ways to make life more complicated than necessary. And being pregnant provided all the openings they needed to do just that.

* * *

Tucker had peeled off from their trio earlier, leaving Danny and Sam alone. He'd winked at them before he left, so it was natural that the twosome hadn't spoken all that much. For Danny, it was because he didn't know what to talk about. Sam did, though. She just had no desire to bring it up.

Several silent minutes dragged by before Danny turned in the direction of Sam's usual route to her home. Well, former home, but he didn't know yet. She noticed the way he was heading and stopped dead in her tracks. "Danny, wait."

He halted and turned around. "Hm?"

She sighed; this wasn't going to be easy. "I'm not allowed back there."

"Back where? I was just walking you home, Sam. And I'm not leaving you alone this time," he told her.

"...Uh, no... That's not what I... What I mean is, I'm not allowed back in my house," she stated quietly.

"Like, you're grounded from your own home?" he inquired.

She sighed again. Was it really that hard to get? "Yeah, kinda. Except, this grounding is kind of...permanent. They...kicked me out. I can't go back."

He felt himself grow increasingly angry at her parents, and he could've sworn his face was turning red, but he tried to keep a calm voice. "Why? I mean, how could they do that?"

The goth shook her head. "Doesn't matter. They did. My dad said get out and my mom didn't argue with him. Besides, it's probably for the better." The last thing she needed right now was more sympathy and emotional upset. So she decided to add a sense of humor to the comment. "You know how they always want me to wear those stupid dresses."

"Yeah, but, Sam, this is your family! They can't do this to you!" he said, a little loudly. He didn't mean to raise his voice, but he was so angry with her parents that he couldn't have helped it even if he'd wanted to.

"Danny, this kind of thing happens more often than you think. I can take care of myself," she combated.

"How, Sam? You're still in high school!" They threw her out on the streets, and she was still just a teenager! She was just fifteen years old!

"I-I dunno, I'll get a job. Rent a motel room or something. I have some money in my backpack; I can use that for starters," she gave.

He threw his hands up in the air. "Sam, you're fifteen! Who's going to hire you?" he yelled.

His frustration got infectious and it spread to her. "I don't know, Danny, okay? I don't know!"

The halfa's eyes softened. "Sam, I'm sorry. I...I just hate that your parents would..." He let his voice trail off, not wanting to upset her. She had enough to deal with without his crap.

She waited until she calmed down a little before speaking, "Maybe I could work as a janitor for your dad or something. His lab is always dirty, anyway."

Danny put his head in his hands and shook it with a groan. "The lab has too many chemicals. It'll be too dangerous to the baby."

Then what was she going to do? Tucker's family consisted of a stay-at-home mom and businessman dad. Her family had turned their backs on her. Danny's family... Well, they probably had enough going on without her there. Where would she go? She couldn't stay in the streets. Last night at Danny's was different; it wasn't a place to stay, it was just like a weird kind of sleepover. Like a visit. Only temporary.

"I'll figure something out," she said, trying her best to sound confident.

"What do you have figured out so far?" he questioned.

She thought for a second. It might take some time to figure _anything_ out. And with a baby on the line, she needed a solid plan. There was no 'act now, think later' idea. It was all 'think now and act according to plan without messing up even a little bit and make sure nothing happens that isn't in the plan'. Having a baby didn't go according to her previous plan, did it? Getting raped wasn't on her agenda, was it? Almost getting killed...well, that would be kind of obvious. And then there was the other old saying, "Leave the past behind you." How could she leave the past behind when there was a kid to raise?

And then how could she leave it behind when there was a factor that would never heal? She'd lost her virginity, the one thing she could never get back. Had _that_ gone according to plan? No! Of course it hadn't! She'd wanted to give it to someone special, to the man she would marry. And now it was too late, now it was gone forever. The man she would marry would probably be disgusted with her for not being able to defend herself, if not for rape. There's another aspect of her life flown out the window. So then, what was left for her?

**A/N**

***almost passes out* Oh, man! I can't believe it! You STILL went over the number of reviews I asked for! HOW DO YOU ALL DO IT? You guys absolutely ROCK! THANK YOU SOSOSOSO MUCH! Idk how else to thank you except by saying thank you! Oh, and I finally got one of my best friends to read this thing! You know who you are, so thanks, buddy o'mine!**

**lolz, and some of you thought he'd chicken out. *smiles slyly* He asked her out! Yay! But let's see if he can do it again! Oh, and a heads-up on the next chapter, that's going to show their date IN FULL DETAIL! (consider it my thank-you) But it may take awhile to finish; I'm no vegan/vegetarian, so I wouldn't know what kind of foods they serve at vegan places. I'll have to Google it or something.  
**

**New quota will be...uh...you know what? You've all been going over my asked number of reviews, so this time, review whatever you want! (consider it another thank-you and an early Christmas present)**

**Now, for your troubles of actually reading the author's notes, I present to you your deserved review replies (as always, in the order of which you reviewed):**

**_RainingHearts4Ever_-First off, nice new avatar! Secondly, I think I flunked the French test... I probably should've studied harder. Oh well, can't change the past. I'll just try harder next time.**

**_KP100_-Man, you're lucky to have a break... I started school late so I didn't even get a week! lolz, thanks. Maybe you should try your hand at writing.**

**_Codiak_-lolz! Staying up past curfew, huh? Is fanfiction really that exciting? I think it is. Nah, it definitely is.**

**_Samara_-Emo moments? Er, there's no emo moments here. But there might be in later chapters. I'll have to sleep on it. Yeah, she is (in both aspects). Which is why I can't decide whether or not it was a bad idea to make her say yes to Danny's date-offer. Yeah, at first I thought that, too. But then I thought, "Oh, wait... Isn't an ecto-blast hotter than a knife? That would burn her if he used that." That's the reason Jazz can't find out; poor Sam would never hear the end of it! O.O NO! You can't compare Danny to the rapist! The way Danny thinks of Sam and the way the other guy does are two totally different thoughts! The rapist represents lust and evil, and Danny represents love and care. How are those confused? lolz, I thought it was. But the butler's not the cause of the crime in this story.**

**_Gracie407_-Then you'll probably look forward to the later chapters as well.**

**_Kagome51_-lolz! What moves, huh? I dunno what I'm gonna do on that point. Yeah, I did this one date thing, but I dunno what else. I'm gonna do. If you have any ideas, by all means, please tell me.**

**_VampireGurlxox_-They're mah fave couple!**

**_Kpfan72491_-lolz Amazeballs. Funny weird word.**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Oh-ho-ho... Trust me, I've plenty of things in mind. Somewhat.**

**_um hi_-Well, thank you. lolz Sick little monkey? Who uses that phrase anymore? Ikr! He's every girl's dream guy! Like I've told many already, relax. He'll get what's coming to him, believe me you! (sorry, I'm kinda southern but NO i do not talk like a cowgirl!) I'm gonna torture him until he would rather waltz straight into Hell than have me as an author!**

**_hunnybunny276198_-You're welcome. I thought it was cute, too. But idk why I put Jazz in there. It wasn't necessary, but for some reason, I just thought she shouldn't be entirely left out of the story.**

**_lpwriter4life_-Hey, that's awesome! Yeah... Well, it'll go gradually, so don't worry. I'm not pushing them together too fast, even though it might seem that way right now. You'll see, though. You'll see. **

**_JuneLuxray2_-Very concise... Thanks!**

**_MegaanFenton998_-Congrats on the hundredth review! Glad you like it! Alot of people do, and I honestly don't know why. It's not like it's an exceptional story. (you know, the ones that come by like, once every two hundred centuries)**

**_Rachpop15_-Omg, so true! Maybe I'll make her do just that... Nah, she's opposed to anything violent except ghost hunting. Killing just isn't in her personality. (and the ghosts don't even die in the series)**

**_rin916_-Yeah, I know the extent of the damage of rape. Diseases, trauma, pain, potential pregnancy...the list just goes on. But I'm not bringing up the various diseases in this story because if it gets too serious, people will hate it. If it gets too fanatical, people will hate it. I try to keep it in between that fine line. Hope I'm doing a good job of that. What do you mean by "convey the story and topic"? (asking for real, not a joke)**

**Those are my wonderful reviewers' replies! Please take some time out of the morning/day/night to review and tell me what you think or give me some ideas you think would be good for the story. Ideas that might interest you are always great ones, no matter how stupid they may be. (literally, at first I thought this was gonna be a stupid story with little to no reviews, if any at all) Just remember, I'm always open to new inspiration! **


	11. Chapter 11

~Chapter 11~

"I can't believe you agreed to come," Danny whispered to himself.

The goth overheard him and responded with, "Well, I didn't want to turn you down." Oh, crap! That made it sound even more like a date! She rushed to put a hand over her mouth, preventing anymore unexpected words from escaping.

He almost laughed, knowing full well what she had done. He did it all the time with her, she just never seemed to catch it when he did. "Ah, don't worry about it. What are you going to have?"

The thought never hit her that his parents might not know about this, so naturally she wasn't able to bring it up. Instead the menu was on her mind. "The Ethiopian injera sounds good."

What the heck was injera? A spice? An edible substance? The menu didn't have a picture of it to show what it looked like. "I'll just keep to a salad."

"Oh, wait, it comes with a side item," she continued. Looking over the list of foods again, she finally decided, "Injera and lentil stew." She looked up over her menu as if to ask permission, since he insisted on treating. Treating, just another word for paying.

"Get what you want, Sam," he said. It wasn't all that expensive, which was surprising to him. Besides, he'd been saving allowance money for a long time for the occasion when he would finally muster up the courage to ask her out. Well, now was that time and he had far more than enough money to pay for this. 'This' being what he considered slop. But, hey, Sam liked it, maybe he should give it a try. 'It' being a salad.

The waitress came by and stopped at their table. "Are you ready to order?" she asked politely.

Both their heads snapped up as they tried to figure out who would order first. Danny looked at Sam and she looked at Danny. It was one of those awkward 'first impression' moments where he tried to show chivalry to his date and his date felt as though she was being impolite. In the end it was Sam, at Danny's insistence, who ordered first, "Uh, I'll have the Ethiopian injera and lentil stew."

The waitress jotted it all down and turned to the halfa when she was done.

"I'll just have a Caesar salad," he said. Wow, that sounded pretty bad, didn't it? Oh well, he was sure alot of people came here with vegan dates. Him being one of them.

More jotting and she left with, "Your food will be ready soon."

The individualist had hoped he would try the tofu lasagna; it wasn't as bad as it sounded. "So, uh, what now?" she asked nervously. Maybe a conversation was the best thing right now.

The halfbreed thought for a second before answering, "You look nice tonight."

This compliment earned him a blush from her. "You, too." Honestly, she hadn't had any time to freshen up before coming here; he'd sorta dragged her as soon as she agreed for a second time to come with him. But a compliment of any sort was welcome at the moment.

A strange thought hit her at that exact minute. What if he tried to kiss her? What if this first date would go from compliments to something more? Immediately, she halted herself. No way, Danny wasn't like that. He would be patient and wait, if nothing else. Besides, he was probably too shy to kiss her. Even if he tried, he would probably chicken out and retreat into himself, covering the action with a lame excuse he figured was valid.

Actually, though, what did she have to lose from kissing him? He was kind to her, he understood her and knew what she needed. Could it be that she was just as timid, if not more than, him? Yeah, yeah. That had to be it. She was too shy. It wasn't caution she felt, but shyness.

They sat in total silence, give or take the chattering of others at the restaurant, until the waitress came back with their food. Sam had a plate of seasoned flat bread set in front of her, along with a smaller bowl of what the halfa assumed was the lentil stew. Meanwhile, he had a bowl of salad with Caesar dressing on top. There was no bacon or cheese, unsurprisingly, on his lettuce-filled meal. There were tomatoes and that was it. Those were the only toppings.

It was only when the waitress left that he tried to make conversation. "So, uh, which one is the injera?"

Sam looked at her plate of bread and then back at Danny. "The bread. How's your salad?" She tore off a piece of the unleavened bread and dipped it in the stew.

He already knew what it tasted like and could've already told her the answer, but he decided to be funny and popped a bite in his mouth, a mock look of euphoria on his face. "I'm sorry, I can't tell. Can't describe how awesome it is."

She made no attempt to so much as chuckle. Yeah, it was kinda funny, but it was also pretty corny. And overall weird. She offered him a piece of her Ethiopian injera by holding it out to him.

A little reluctant at the new food, he took it and bit into it. Wasn't half bad, but he'd tasted so much better. It tasted kind of like...well, bread and different spices. He couldn't distinguish which spices they'd used, though. But they'd definitely used pepper and, he assumed, a small amount of cinnamon. "Not bad," he told her through a mouthful of food.

"You should try it with the stew. It's way better that way," she said, holding out another piece of bread that had been pre-dipped for his convenience.

He took it and expected a better taste than what he got. In fact, it didn't taste anything like it had before. He couldn't even detect the spices this time! He pointed over to the far end of the restaurant, the end behind the goth, and spit it out in his napkin when she turned around to look at whatever it was he'd been pointing at. When her attention was back on him, he smiled to hide the horrendous aftertaste the stew had left. What the heck was in that stuff? He remained speechless on that topic, leaving it to fester in his past.

"You can really taste the onion in it, huh?" she asked, more of a statement than a question.

He nodded, not trusting his tongue to produce the right words.

The rest of the date went fine. A few awkward silences here, a few good conversations there. Everything was going great. In fact, it went so great they ordered dessert, again at Danny's insistence. Sam had apple cobbler, which the hybrid had never tried before. Danny had carrot cake. He would've had the apple cobbler, but the most recent thing he tried that the individualist liked was terrible to him. So he decided not to take his chances with another food item. In the end, after Danny waited for Sam to use the restroom, the two went outside.

There was no car; they had walked to the restaurant. Outside the place was freezing. It had to be at least twenty below zero. The wind didn't help either; cold winds just blew frequently in their faces. Sam briefly wondered which part of her body would be the first to develop frostbite or gangrene. She decided on her fingers or toes first.

"You think it's cold now, just wait," Danny said, smirking. Before she had time to figure out what he meant, he glanced in every direction, surveying the area thoroughly, making sure no one was around, and allowed a single white ring to form in a flash of light. The glowing ring split in two and moved up and down his body. One of the two rings dissipated above his head, while the other dissipated at the ground below his toes. He was now Danny Phantom.

Sam found her self being scooped up bridal-style and lifted gently into the sky. She was fine with it, so long as he didn't start a speed-demon acceleration. The only annoyance was her hair, which kept whipping around her head. God, it would be a tangled, matted mess in the morning. Thankfully, she wasn't tender-headed.

Sam's hair lashed at his neck, but the halfa didn't care. It kind of tickled, actually. "You know," he shouted over the wind, "if you need a place to stay, I'm sure my parents wouldn't object."

She stayed quiet for a little bit, but finally replied in a somewhat choked voice, "Thanks." She noticed right in time that underneath them was Fenton Works, Danny's home. But it quickly passed. "Hey, where are we going?"

His emerald eyes met her amethyst ones and he grinned silently, mysteriously.

She sighed, knowing he was taking her somewhere, just not knowing where exactly. She passed the time by looking down at the tiny people underneath them. Yeah, they were up pretty high, weren't they? Many familiar buildings seemed to hurl away from them, until all the familiar establishments were replaced by a completely unfamiliar, barren scene. There was miles of grass. It had no weeds and didn't smell of fertilizer. It didn't look like it had been cut, but it was still neatly kept. There were a few trees here and there, but it was otherwise an empty lot of land. The city already seemed to be far away. Where were they?

"Close your eyes," she heard him command. She did as told. He kept flying with her cradled in his arms for about twenty more seconds before he slowed to a stop. "You can open them now," he told her. Again, she obeyed.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the sight laid out before her. She slid out of Danny's arms and took a step forward. She was standing in a field of lush white flowers. The plants were surreal in beauty. They weren't too tall nor too short. Her boots only sunk into them a little bit, but not nearly enough to make it hard to walk through. The moon was full and caused the dew drops on the flowers to glisten. She bent down to pick one. Each of their five petals was velvety to the touch. The leaves were extremely soft. She held it loosely, afraid it might break if she pinched it too hard. The stem was skinny and delicate, it looked like the flower couldn't support itself.

"Danny, these are...beautiful," she breathed.

He knelt down and picked one, too. "I call them moon flowers, because they only bloom when the moon is full."

"Where'd you...? How'd you find these?" she inquired.

"Technically, I never found them; I made them. When I was sucking this plant ghost into the Fenton thermos, it spilled seeds everywhere. The seeds landed here and grew into sprouts, and the sprouts started to bloom once a month, on a night when the moon is full. Supposedly, they're really toxic in the ghost zone, but here they're just a pretty sight," he explained.

"They aren't harmful here?" she asked, just to make sure.

"Nope, they're just ordinary plants here," he assured.

He shuffled his feet until he was standing right behind her, then he knelt down beside her and gazed into her violet eyes. She was drop-dead gorgeous; no wonder that phony from Michigan-went by the name of Gregor-had tried to change himself to someone he thought she might like. Danny knew he'd have done the same thing if he thought for sure there was no way Sam would like him as he was. And yet it was this same beauty and grace that had made her desirable. That had gotten her into the situation she was in now.

Sam wasn't aware how near the spirit had gotten until she felt a hand stroke her head compassionately. She was confused at first, but when she turned around, she immediately felt nothing less than uncomfortable. Danny's face, which had a glow-in-the-dark look thanks to the white hair and glowing eyes, was a dangerous ten centimeters from hers. His lips were slightly parted, his head slightly tilted. And his eyes were already half closed.

One of his arms was placed gently on her shoulder, while the other wrapped itself around her waist. He was now so close that his ghastly white hair teased at her forehead. The whole scenario was putting the goth into a state of panic. She wanted to say something, but no words would come forth. No, no, no! This wasn't happening! She was dreaming, right? In a bed, a soft bed.

His head was moving ever closer to hers; a kiss would occur. He was trying to kiss her. As soon as his nose touched her cheek, something gripped her. Tears started to form at the rims of her eyes and her body instantly reacted. She kicked and squirmed until she was free of his hold. Her legs lifted her up and she pivoted on her heel. Then she ran. She didn't know where she was running, or how long her legs would keep running; all she knew was that she had to get away. Or at least, that's what every nerve in her body was telling her.

Danny stared. He knew right when she started to struggle that he'd come on way too strong. It was too soon for her. Why had he done that? Right after she'd been raped for the second time! And the one short glimpse he'd seen of her eyes. Fear. She'd had been scared. By him. By the person who was supposed to be her friend. How could he have been so cold and insensitive? She was still so fragile from everything that had happened. And then he'd gone and tried to pull a stupid stunt like that.

"You were supposed to help her heal, you idiot!" he berated himself.

Danny got up from the knocked-over position the girl had put him in when she resisted and flew after Sam. She didn't take very long to find because he could move at super-sonic speeds and cover more ground rapidly. Whereas she could only run. And running she was! But why would she still be running from him? He figured it was just the adrenaline having yet to subside. Meaning, basically, that her body was acting on its own without her thoughts to control it.

He dove down and flew beside her. "Sam, c-can you stop for just a second? Let me explain!" he called over the gales.

She faltered and tripped over her own feet at the unexpected sound of his voice. She landed flat on her stomach. It was beginning to hurt when she hit her abdomen. She spat out a piece of grass that had slipped into her mouth when she chest heaved up and down with her burst of energy and the fear that still held her in its icy claws.

Danny halted and rushed back to assist her if necessary. "Sam, you okay?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to take.

She didn't move or respond in any way. The only indication she was alive was her harsh breathing. After a few seconds, her body started hitching with each breath she took. It was then that both of them realized Sam was crying.

The halfa reverted back into his human form and helped her up by placing one hand on her arm and the other on her chest and pushing upward, propping the upper portion of her body upright. The hand on her chest felt her heart. It was beating furiously and very unsteadily. She was still scared.

"Sam, I'm sorry..." he apologized, almost begging for forgiveness. "I didn't mean for that to happen back there; I knew it was too soon but...I did it anyway. I'm so sorry..." His lifted a hand to wipe away her hot tears, which were steaming in the cold night. "You weren't ready. I know that now."

"Y-You scared me..." she sobbed, new tears coming to replace the ones that he'd wiped away.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry. I swear I'll never do anything like that ever again!" And he meant what he said. After the way she'd reacted this time? There was no way he'd ever be so stupid after that!

When she finally stopped crying, he noticed she was shivering uncontrollably. "Sam, you wanna go home now?" He spoke to her as though she was a little girl, but she didn't seem to mind.

This only seemed to bring more angst to the situation. She replied with, "No! I can't go home! My parents-"

"No, no. Remember what I said? Before we came here? I said you could stay with me. I'll work something out with my parents, and you can stay. I made you a promise, remember? I said I'd do whatever it took. I'm not going to break that promise. Not now, not ever," he resolved.

She nodded weakly and let him pick her up to carry her to his house. On the way back, she couldn't stop herself from burying her head in his jumpsuit. Her fear had released her...barely. She knew it was sure to come back. She knew something would eventually come back to haunt her. But what? The rape? No, she told herself she'd gotten over that. But...was it true? Of course not. She doubted if she would ever recover from that horrible night. What a terrible thing to deal with! And what a terrible thing to be haunted by.

But her one ray of light, even if he wasn't a ray of light tonight, was Danny. And she knew she depended on him. She repeatedly told herself that he was going to be her protector, that he would defend her from the evil one still after her. But a thought destroyed her hope. Danny hadn't been there the last time, hadn't protected her. He hadn't gotten there in time, hadn't answered her the first. But she had no right to be mad at him; it wasn't his fault. He hadn't known about either time.

The ghoul phased through the building labeled 'Fenton Works' and set his precious cargo down on the ground of his room so she could get ready to go to sleep, and so he could get ready to tell his parents about everything.

**A/N (MERRY CHRISTMAS!)**

**First and foremost, I AM NOT A VEGAN! Just to clear that up, if any missed it in the last chapter. I had to Google everything about the vegetarian lifestyle and foods to find out all this stuff they eat. (no offense to vegetarians) I'm a huge meat-eater, and I hate salads! I LOVE BURRITOS! Meat-filled lovely burritos! Oh, I love them so! *clears throat* Sorry, Mexican food is my favorite. *licks chops* Such spicy goodness... lolz, there's something about the author you didn't know! Anyhoo, I'm sure you aren't interested in this nonsense that doesn't involve the story, so lemme get to the good stuff now.**

**Um, the reason why Sam ran (just to clear up any confusion) was because she had already been through such a traumatic ordeal that she got scared when Danny tried to advance so quickly. It wasn't surprising to her, just scary. She ran because of the 'fight-or-flight' instinct that takes hold of the body when the mind feels as though it's in danger. This is exactly how Sam felt. Although she wasn't really in danger, she basically remembered what happened two of the three times the man had gotten her. (both of the rapes) So a kiss was something she knew she wasn't anywhere near ready for and thus it was considered dangerous. Hence the reason I put in, "...was a dangerous ten centimeters..." Note the word 'dangerous' is right there. This has to be the first real indication that she's scared. I hope this this little description (I dunno what else to call it) helped.**

**Also, another thing about Sam that many of you may have missed is that she hasn't laughed at all in this story. She's hardly smiled (I can't remember if she smiled for real or not), let alone laughed. If you've noticed this, then you'll know she's still very depressed about what happened, and she's just being strong. And you'll also notice that she doesn't like remembering what happened nor talking about it. Hearing about it is merely a reminder to her, which is why she refuses to tell anyone unless absolutely necessary. (to her, necessary is like life or death) And also note that Danny has tried to get her to talk to people, to tell them what really happened. Note that she refused, again, to do it. So don't think this story is one of those "I just walked away from a rape and now I'm fine!" stories.  
**

**Okay, so I'm honestly too shocked for words at how y'all (yes, I say that word in real life; no, I am not a hillbilly or a redneck but I am a little southern) readily reviewed! My most loyal reviewers, and you know who you are, will certainly be acknowledged throughout my Author's Notes, so please give them a little pat on the back because on each chapter or almost each chapter they've taken time to review to me ideas and thoughts that, without the help of their reviews, I would not have known. So, I thank you all loyal reviewers! And to those of you who haven't been so loyal, I still thank you because you made the review numbers skyrocket!**

**New review quota (yeah, there's gonna be one this time) will be one hundred twenty-five (125) reviews.**

**And now for the highlight of your reading experience so far, I offer you these replies to your reviews:**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-She actually doesn't play a big role in mine. She's only there as the gossip girl, the rumor-spreader. Nothing more, nothing less. I put her in because she and Valerie, as far as I know, hang out in the show. So she told Valerie, and...well, I'm not gunna say. If I tell you the whole story, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?**

**_Codiak_-Cool new avatar! lolz, don't worry. I have my obsessions, too. And it's totally natural. I spend alot of my time thinking about what to do next for my DP story (this is my only one right now, so yeah, it's this one) Why is it awesome? Seriously, someone has yet to answer that! It's not like anything actiony is happening. I mean, yeah, the concept of rape can peak interests, but still...**

**_JuneLuxray2_-I see you have a new avatar as well. Nice. That's just sick. (but then, who am I to talk? I made my main character get raped! twice!)**

**_lilyt789_-Oh, I'm just as guilty as anyone of doing that. No worries, right? But I have to thank you for checking it out! So thanks! :P**

**_KP100_-Yeah, I hate it when fanfiction does that... It's so annoying, isn't it? I have a laptop at my dad's and (and it doesn't have spelling check, so some chapters might have words misspelled even though I'm a pretty good speller) it kicks me off on the computer at my mom's (the one that does have spelling check).**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-lolz Aren't I? But you should know that I take that as a compliment.**

**_Kpfan72491_-Yeah, that word might actually catch on!**

**_VampireGurlxox_-How can you think you're vegetarian but not know for sure? o.o" It's a mystery... Since you might be vegetarian, why don't you try some of the foods I put in this chapter? (I've never tried anything but the salad, so I honestly wouldn't know)**

**_Hunnybunny276198_-lolz! Finally! A name for it! A semi-thought cliffhanger. Nice ring to it, I guess.**

**_lpwriter4life_-Sam is going to be staying with Danny, as I've decided she will in this chapter. He found her wet and naked; of course he won't care how she looks! He's so sweet, isn't he?**

**_DannyPhantomLover8998_-I'll be glad to read your story! Thanks for inviting me! lolz I'll look it up asap.**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-No kidding. I feel bad for Sam even though I'm the one making this all happen to her.**

**This story is about to get a ton funnier, hopefully, so check in for new chapters! btw, if there's any questions about the story, review them to me and I'll answer them in the next chapter. MERRY CHRISTMAS!**


	12. Chapter 12

~Chapter 12~

Danny quickly wrote down letter after letter on a sticky note. It said, "Mom and Dad, Sam is pregnant. She needs a place to stay because her parents kicked her out. Please, I'll do anything if she can stay here!" He intentionally left out the part about him being the dad. Not only was it false, but his mother would automatically assume he was the father, anyway. There was no need to put it in.

As soon as he was done writing, he went downstairs and stuck the sticky note to the fridge. His dad would be up any minute now to have a snack, most likely the leftover ham. After making sure the note was securely placed, he marched back upstairs to his room.

Sam was just finishing her homework when the halfa walked into the room. "Hey," she greeted him.

He let out a sigh that he'd been holding in much too long and popped a crick in his neck. "Hey," he said with a yawn.

"Tired much?" she teased, closing her textbook and putting it away in her spider-shaped backpack.

He stretched and looked at her blankly. "It's not funny. Besides, you stayed up later than you should've. Shouldn't _you_ be a little tired?"

The goth shook her head. "Nope. I'm a night owl; I study better at night."

He merely gazed in bewilderment. The atmosphere around them became awkward with the dense silence. Nothing moved, nothing spoke. The only sound to be heard was the television downstairs. The words were vague and couldn't be comprehended, but it sounded a bit like a western movie was on. A few gunshots, a horse whinnying, the thuds of hooves impacting the ground, and incomprehensible words being spoken by the actors.

He yawned again and went over to his pallet, which he fixed up to satisfy his comfort. The hybrid was out cold in just a few seconds.

The individualist poked his back a few times before deciding he was completely unconscious. She pulled the blanket over him-he'd forgotten to do that-and fished another one out of his closet so he wouldn't get cold. She had decided when he was writing the note that what he'd done wouldn't ruin their friendship. They would stay friends, if nothing else.

The goth got up and stretched her arms, ending with a yawn of her own. Normally she didn't get tired until somewhere around 11:30 to midnight. Perhaps it was because of this baby that she was now about to drop dead from fatigue. She shook her head, telling herself that the baby needed it, that it was healthy for her. She climbed into Danny's bed and prepared to settle down for the night. Danny refused to sleep in his bed anymore because of her. He'd insisted on his little pallet because she needed a place to sleep. And he wanted wherever she slept to be comfortable. Her eyes slid shut. Danny was so sweet to her...

* * *

The parental units burst into the room, waking the two groggy teens with the door brutally slamming against the wall.

The first one to speak was the halfbreed's mother. "Danny, is the note you left true?"

He groaned sleepily in response, not yet able to register the words, and pulled his face into his pillow. Hopefully this racket would end soon and he would be back asleep in just a few seconds. Either that, or his dad would use the oldest form of alarm clock there was, the one only seen in cartoons.

His father pulled out a bucket of ice water that he'd gotten from God-knows-where and poured it on his son's body, instantly rousing him.

Danny scrambled to get out from under the now freezing covers. "I'm up! I'm up! There's this new thing you know, it's called 'knocking'!"

Maddie bent down and cupped her boy's face with one hand. "Sweetie, is Sam really pregnant? And she really doesn't have a place to go?" she asked softly.

Both mother and son looked at the said character, who'd already fallen back asleep. She was snoozing peacefully, like a baby. Her face was half-buried in her pillow, and she seemed pretty content that way. There was no dried tear streaks to remind either of them what happened last night. Hopefully they would be able to laugh about that later, but it was unlikely. He was just thankful he hadn't gone too far and actually kissed her. True, he'd _tried_, but trying was different from actually completing the action.

"Yeah," he replied, "It's true." His gaze refocused on his mom.

"Well, Danny, we're very disappointed in you. But there's no changing the past. Since Sam doesn't have anywhere to go, I suppose she can stay here," Jack said.

His mom nodded. "But you have to help her raise the kid, Danny. This is your responsibility, not ours. And let me tell you, it's alot of work bringing up children. But it's a very rewarding experience. From now on, it's your job to be a good dad."

"Thanks for letting her stay. It's the least I can do for her," he said, mumbling the last sentence.

"Poor Sam..." Maddie walked over to where Sam was resting and hugged her head, immediately waking her from her peaceful slumber. "Oh, Sam, if there's anything you need, anything at all, you just let us know, okay?"

Sam tried to nod her head, but the woman's arms were crushing it. So she spoke instead, "Sure, Mrs. Fenton." Human contact seemed to be ruining her Goth indifference; she hated hugs. But at the same time it was comforting to know that someone else was there for her, so she accepted the hug gratefully.

Danny used his left hand to do the 'cut-throat' gesture that always meant 'stop it' to his mom. She quickly got the hint and smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you kids want breakfast? We made pancakes and eggs. Sam, we recently got some soy milk, if you want some."

"Uh, Mrs. Fenton, I don't eat eggs," she reminded the woman.

"Oh, that's right! I don't know what I was thinking! Well, like I said, we have pancakes. Unfortunately, you'll have to eat them plain; Jack decided to try syrup in black coffee..." She glanced over at her husband and glared. All that syrup had gone to waste because he thought it tasted nasty.

A new silence set in, and the air felt awkward again. The parentals left after awhile to tend to the breakfast table, where Jazz was probably already up and eating. Thank God it was the weekend... After the past week, both the teens needed a break.

The goth fiddled with her thumbs, wondering what to do next. Go back to sleep? She wasn't all that tired anymore. Lay back down and daydream? Nah, it'd be rude to the Fentons. Sit still and wait for Danny to dry himself off? Kinda weird. Go downstairs to eat breakfast? She wanted to wait for Danny. Stay still and think about something? ...So many options and nothing to choose.

The halfa grabbed a hand towel from his bathroom and muttered something under his breath. He dried off his face and hair as much as he could and pulled a comb through his tangled locks. Even brushed, his hair still looked a bit shaggy. Some of it covered just the top portion of his eyes, and no hair cut had ever fixed that. He sighed and looked at his reflection. The mirror needed to be cleaned. Speaking of cleaning, he needed to do his chores for the week. Most of them were working with trinkets down in the lab. Others were the normal chores, like taking out the trash or mowing the lawn.

He walked out, telling Sam the bathroom was all hers.

The goth nodded and entered just as Danny's footsteps were heard plodding throughout the house. She grabbed her own brush, which Danny had gone out and gotten for her two nights ago, and began the long and painful task of brushing her hair. The wind from last night had put it through the ringer. After the half-hour it took to brush, she picked up her toothbrush, again obtained through Danny, and scrubbed her teeth and tongue until all the morning breath had vanished.

She got herself dressed and went downstairs to eat. She had to eat even if she didn't want to; the baby was determined to get its food one way or another and it was making her stomach hurt to even think about skipping breakfast.

Sam heaped four pancakes onto her plate, earning a few quiet stares from her kitchenmates. She blushed in turn, but Maddie had to be the only one who hadn't given her a strange look. Probably because she knew what it was like to be pregnant; she had two kids, after all.

"Hungry much?" Danny teased.

Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by Mrs. Fenton. "Danny, that's no way to treat a guest!" she chided, "Besides, Sam's eating for two; you're eating more than her and you're only eating for one."

Now it was Danny's turn to blush as he looked down at his six pancakes that had each been greedily buttered. Immediately, all the stares went to him. But, being part of the family, he didn't care if anyone stared at him.

Sam dug into her breakfast, along with everyone else sitting at the table. No more bad looks for her, no more teasing from Danny. Looked like this weekend might go without incident.

As soon as breakfast was over, Jazz rinsed off the plates and tucked them neatly into the dishwasher. Sam would've offered to help her if Danny hadn't wandered away. Seemed to her like the dishes were Jazz's chore. She couldn't help but wonder what hers would be. Well, _other_ than taking care of a baby.

The individualist went down to that basement, where the lab was at. This was no place new to her; she'd been here on more than several occasions, each with the halfa. She saw Danny getting out some tools from an old-fashioned red metal toolbox. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

He looked at her and said, "Doing my long-overdue chores. My dad lectured me last week about keeping the lab cleaned. Besides, I still have to work on that map of the ghost zone, so I can't look suspicious down here. Chores are my get-out-of-jail-free card."

"Can I help with anything?" she offered, feeling the sudden urge to do something other than lay around all day. Too bad she'd already finished her homework for the weekend...

He shook his head as he got out a wrench and a new bolt. "Nah, I got it covered. If you wanna help, maybe my mom has something you can do."

"What about the map?" she asked. If she was banned from hunting ghosts, the least he could do was let her help out with the map. Plus, the ghost zone was a pretty cool place. Anything that defied most laws of physics was a cool place.

He strained to get out an old, rusty bolt on the Fenton ghost portal. "I'll get you when it's time to go." The rusty bolt popped out and landed with a clank on the linoleum floor. He didn't bother to pick it up and got started on screwing in the new bolt, tightening it with the wrench. "One down," he muttered, "seven to go."

The goth sighed and went to see Maddie. She wasn't at all that busy. "Hey, Mrs. Fenton. Is there anything that needs to get done around here?" she inquired.

"Well, I was just about to vacuum, but it can wait for a little while longer. Danny still has to clean up the lab and Jazz still has to dust the living room," the woman in the teal-colored jumpsuit answered.

"I could dust, if you want me to," she offered.

"Oh, don't be silly! I couldn't possibly ask you to do that! Instead, why don't you make yourself comfortable?" Maddie smiled sweetly at her guest.

Why was she being treated this way? So...so _useless_! It wasn't like she hadn't been here before; she'd come over hundreds of times before this. Was it because they knew she was pregnant? That had to be it. This stupid baby was causing her more and more trouble as time went on.

She sighed heavily and sat down on the couch in the living room. The TV was flipped on and she began to channel-surf. How come there was never anything on in the middle of the day? Well, the answer to that was kind of obvious; little kids stayed home all day. And most shows, it seemed, were much too violent for them. Eventually, she settled on the Fairly Oddparents, which was just going off. She watched the credits and sat through the commercials. Then Nicktoons came back around to the actual show. Another episode of Fairly Oddparents was on next, apparently.

"Now, back to Nicktoons," the television said, as though its audience didn't know that.

She watched different episodes of the Fairly Oddparents and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Then she switched to Cartoon Network only to find a movie to be on, Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas". It wasn't all that strange that a Christmas movie would be on, considering it was past Thanksgiving already.

What would it be like to make a movie? Or even to be a voice actor? Must be pretty cool, and you'd get paid big money. Maybe she could be a voice actress. She'd need some kind of job to pay for hospital expenses, doctor's visits, and all that other crap pregnancy puts you through. Odd; no matter how much she hated hospitals, she couldn't bring herself to hate the baby. Either she was more maternal than she knew, or she knew the baby didn't do anything wrong. Or perhaps it was both, as she recalled the time when she had mothered a flour sack.

No longer focused on the TV, her eyes widened as it dawned on her that her child didn't have a father. Sure, Danny was playing 'daddy' at the moment, but what would happen when the baby was born? She figured the worst: he would likely abandon her for fear of the responsibility of rearing a child. She couldn't stop it, but preparing herself might be wise.

But torturing herself with these thoughts wasn't wise. Just the opposite, actually. Well, if not torture herself by thinking about it, what was she supposed to do? She felt like one of those poor lost dogs, cast out onto the cold, lonely streets because no one wanted them anymore. What if that was what she turned into? A dog that eventually became unwanted. Was that where destiny was headed? If so, it was going to be a low blow.

The individualist mentally slapped herself. No, Danny would never treat her like her parents- The thought was stopped by what she assumed to be logic. Her parents didn't even want her... What in a cat's nine lives made her think someone else would? Family was supposedly the most closely-knit bond in the universe, and now she didn't have one.

She wasn't even aware that Danny had popped up behind her, so the girl was startled when he said, "Sam, time to go."

After the initial shock had subsided, she sniffed the air. W-What was that? That aweful scent! It smelled like sweat and...she didn't even know what else. "Augh! Your BO is... Ew, Danny, you reek!" She restrained herself from coughing.

"You'd stink, too, if you had to go through the garbage looking for a wrench!" he retorted.

"Come here." She led him back upstairs and got out a small bottle of perfume. Ignoring his angry protests, she sprayed it all over him and dragged him back downstairs and into the basement. It was time to help out with the map; this would be the highlight of her day and she wasn't going to let body odor ruin it. On their way down, she noticed it was getting close to nighttime. The sun was setting and the sky was closing in on a lovely blackish-blue color. The moon was even revealing itself; it was still full from the night before.

Danny took just a few seconds to shift from Fenton to Phantom, with the 'all-clear' signal from Sam, of course, and phased into that all-too-familiar little ship that could easily hold four people. They had extra space this time, however, because it was just Sam and him.

The girl got in and noticed the long face he had. "Aw, look on the bright side, Danny. Now you smell good."

"If by 'good' you mean pear and lilly blossom, then yeah, I smell amazing," he mocked as he took the controls.

The little invention began to hover above the ground. It didn't stay there for two more seconds before it flung towards the now open portal.

After what seemed like hours, they were headed toward an unknown island floating in the middle of nowhere. The top of it looked completely white, but the bottom looked like the bottom of Skulker's island. A big chunk of clay and rock floating aimlessly in the ghost zone.

"Hey, Danny, where are we going? Or are you just exploring?" Sam asked.

No response, just rugged breathing, as if he was trying to suck in air too fast for his body's allowance.

"Danny?" she repeated. After another tense silence, she called his name again.

But he wouldn't answer her. He seemed intensely focused on whatever was ahead of them, which as far as she could see, was nothing. But that was strange... Normally the ghost zone was full of floating doors that lead to different realms. There were no doors surrounding this little island. In fact, there wasn't _anything_ surrounding it. Why was that?

She didn't worry about its barren background, though. It was the halfa that worried her. She vigorously shook his shoulder, but he still didn't seem to acknowledge her presence. What was wrong with him? He never ignored her like this! The only time he had was when she'd wished she never met him. But she hadn't wished that...had she? Could it be that Desiree was around here? That this little island was hers? Only one way to find out...

**A/N**

**lolz! Yippee! Another cliffie, right? Don't you all just hate me? (don't answer that question) :P Hm... I could go several ways here, couldn't I? I wonder which road this story will take... And just a few questions to spike your interest: Has a ghost possessed Danny? Is he trying to fight whatever it is? Is he under a spell? Could it really be Desiree? Is he mad at Sam for the perfume incident? (well, obviously, but you know what I mean)**

**Yeah, that's all I got for now, sorry. I'll try to update soon, though! I promise! Just...no guarantees due to school.**

**Ya know what? I should've just asked for a hundred thrity reviews. Y'all keep going over it so much! I'm prompted to test my luck with this, but I won't for you guys' sake. New quota is one hundred forty (140) reviews.**

**And now, as always, for your well-deserved replies to all your lovely and helpful reviews:**

**_DannyPhantomLover8998_-Ah, no problem. I mention all my reviewers in my Author's Notes. Oh, man! You're dead f your mom fnd out! Or at least know I'd be... *shvers* Such is the authorty of parents. Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, and Merry Christmas! (I say Merry Christmas because I'm a Christian.) (I know, shocking, right? A dark story for a Christian to write, but I have my reasons, one of them being rape awareness.)**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-XD No kidding! Probably one of the biggest mistakes you could make with a girl! (but the reason why he chose to kiss her anyway, even though he knew she wasn't ready, will be revealed in later chapters)**

**_lilyt789_-You'll have your fair share of kiss scenes between Danny and Sam. You just can't make an angst story without romance! Unfortunately, you'll have to wait quite some time before you get to see _any_ kiss scenes. I say this because Sam is still so fragile. But there will be more angst, sweet, and protective moments with the pair. So just hang in there.**

**_Codiak_-First off, can I congratulate you on your username? It's so short and easy to write, unlike all these numbered usernames. My fingers get tired just going back and forth between the two tabs I have to keep up! (one so I can write the reply and the other so I can read what to reply to) Ooooh... Gripping, I like it! Nice way to describe this story! Since you're obviously so eager to see what happens next, I'll let you in on a little something-something. This story is about to get so much more random and funny that you cannot possibly imagine what the next sentence will be! (the randomness and humorous part of my evil, twisted mind wants to come out and play) Woah, good luck on your English test! I always pass those with ease; it's French I get so frikin' stuck on! **

**_JuneLuxray2_-What are plox?**

**_Samara_-When you wrote, "This chapter (referring to the last chapter) cleared up my dislike on the advancing too soon thing with Danny.", what did you mean? Did you mean it in a bad way or a good way? 'Cause I told you it'll be gradual and that you'll see what I mean. Now you saw what I meant. And yeah, I feel like Danny's been OOCish for the last few chapters as well. I've been trying to fix that by watching Danny Phantom episodes like crazy! I dunno if it worked or not, but let's hope this chapter is a success. Oh, really? I prefer hurt/comfort/angst/romance/humor. Those four are what I really go for.**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Me, too! Orginally, I'd planned to do that idea WAY later in the story, and they would actually have kissed in that scene. But I stopped that idea because I saw a different, more sensible opening for it to fit in. And it was more realistic rather than her just suddenly recovering and going, "Danny, kiss me you fool!" (I never planned to put this line in the story. I still don't plan to.) lolz, why thank you! And, in case you're wondering, injera is just flat bread. I couldn't find out whether or not it was really seasoned, but I tried. I've also never tried lentil stew, so I have no idea if it's good or bad or even if it leaves an aftertaste. Man, am I glad to hear that! I was getting so nervous when I wrote that chapter, wondering if you guys would like it and worrying that you wouldn't. I knew a kiss scene would be nice, but I figured a running scene would kinda leave all emotions between the characters hanging in the air. I hoped y'all might like that.**

**_um hi_-Thanks! I've been working my mind to its core trying to write this chapter! (literally, my brain feels fried...) (and also, this chapter originally had an entirely different beginning where Danny told his parents in person. But I didn't know how to make them respond to that, so I had to chang it, even though it was so much better than this beginning)**

**_KP100_-XD Are you serious? I don't think it's healthy to actually glue your eyes to a screen like that; maybe I'd better tone this story down! lolz! (Nah, I'm not really gonna tone it down. I can't! :P) Yeah, me, too. Well, I wasn't born in Georgia, but I come from a family of farmers, southerners, and soldiers. So I always say "fer" even though I intend to say "for" and "dang/darn" and "holy cow" and "yer" instead of "your/you're" and "y'all" instead of "you all". Sounds hillbillyish I know, but my tongue is hardwired that way! But don't get me wrong, I'm no hillbilly/redneck! Good luck with your spelling bee! (huh, never spelled spelling bee before)**

**_VampireGurlxox_-I think they are the same, but I honestly wouldn't know. Like I've said, I'm a huge meat fan! Ribs and chicken drenched in thick barbeque sauce is my absolute fave! (yeah, it's a southern food, but alot of people like it so what the heck) And I love salmon and cheeseburgers! YUM! But the salmon has to have loads of lemon on it. (I'm surprisingly very picky about my food) Mexican, Japanese, seafood, and barbeque foods. Love 'em all! (but only a select few from each category; I won't eat cooked or dried fruits or veggies unless the veggie is corn or broccoli or peas or potato) (and I also won't eat dessert items like flan or gummies) (and then I won't eat pickles or anything that looks like one except for cucumbers) (and I also won't eat ANYTHING I know has onions in it) (it would be easier to list the things I do like verses the things I don't) But no offense to your vegetarianism! I actually greatly respect that lifestyle; it's much healthier than eating a bunch of fat contained in meat. (although I try to cut off the fatty parts) I think it's good you're a vegetarian! Keep up the good work! Oh, and another thing: you might think that because I love meat so much that I don't care about animals. This is totally untrue. I love animals very, very passionately! I'm like Sam in every way except I'm not a goth. I dispise how they collect frogs to dissect, and would do anything to save them! I think I'll become a wildlife photographer one day to show the world what we're doing to this planet and all the beautiful creatures that reside here! I also plan to maybe become a hummingbird caretaker for the rare and elusive spatula-tailed hummingbird to help save their species. So I hope you don't get the idea that I don't care about animals. I've actually always wanted to devote myself to saving them from the horrible polutions all those cars and planes and trash put into this world. But, and I have to say this, my soul belongs only to God, my creator.**

**_Kpfan72491_-Thanks!**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Aw, thanks! I'm about to become alot eviller and alot funnier. (well, I'm gonna test my limits on the eviller thing, but I've got a pretty horrible mind, so don't worry too much about it) You'll see what happens, you'll see.**

**_hunnybunny276198_-Thank you, and I hope to post the next chapter sooner than this one. I got a little tied up in schoolwork and crap. But next week will be my last week of school before Christmas Break. And I hope to post at least two chapters on Christmas Break. Although I will not post one on Christmas Eve nor Christmas Day, so don't be expecting any new chapters to come out on those two special holidays. I'm not trying to be mean, it's just that Christmas is when we celibrate Jesus' birthday. My mom even bakes Him a cake.**

**_lpwriter4life_-What do you mean? **

**_The Silver Radio_-Whew! All of them in one day? And here I thought I was the only one who did that! XD Well, rape isn't exactly something you can get over in a few days or even a week; maybe not even a month! It's gonna take a long time for Sam to recover, and that's what this story is going to be about. But this story isn't as evil as it seems; it's a rape awareness story. I hope that by the time I get done with this story, at least one person will have read the whole thing and realize the kind of dangers they face and the precautions they should take to avoid the same fate as Sam. This story even gives hints how to escape. Like when Sam licked the man's hand so she could turn her head and cry for help. In real life, people could do that. But often people are overcome by fear and logic goes down the drain at that point. So now you know why I wrote this story in the first place; to help people who, in the future, might be raped. **

**As I've told my last reviewer, help is the reason I wrote this story. And for those of you who have gone through it and can't get over it, talk to your friends, if not your family. They won't be disgusted in you and they CAN HELP. They'll understand and listen to you; and you can get over it if you just let them help you. And remember this: it's not about forgetting the incident, it's just about overcoming the trauma.**


	13. Chapter 13

~Chapter 13~

The tiny ship, specifically built for exploration in the ghost zone, rapidly gravitated toward the small island. As they got ever closer to it, it became clear that the white cap on the island wasn't paint or sand or any type of weird ghost-rock. The all-whiteness began to break up into tinier white specks the nearer they got. Then those specks broke up to become smaller, then those smaller specks broke up to become even smaller, and so on and so forth. Until finally, it became very clear what the white cap was.

Their means of transportation throughout the ghost zone landed right on the edge of the middle of the island.

Danny hopped out and ran to the middle of the white field, dropping to his knees and inhaling deeply.

The goth cautiously got out. It was all so odd! The halfa usually was extremely precarious in unknown parts of the ghost zone, but here he was contentedly sniffing the air around him. He didn't seem to have a worry or care, just completely oblivious to any dangers. Why? This wasn't the Danny Phantom she knew. This was...absurd.

She looked around, surveying the area thoroughly. There was nothing on the island but the white specks that blanketed the ground like snow. Hold up...white specks? She bent down and looked closer. No, the weren't just any white specks, they were those flowers Danny had shown her last night. What did he say he called them again? She thought back to the events before he tried to kiss her. Moon flowers. That's what he said they were. They were moon flowers.

So now she had him figured out. He wanted a second date but couldn't muster the courage to ask her. And he probably figured that he could start over. But he didn't want to take her back to the same spot, so he took her to the ghost zone, the one place he knew she'd never turn down. It was like a assured way of dragging her to a date with him.

She plucked one and sniffed it. Smelled nice, a pleasing scent that couldn't really be described. Her head snapped up when she heard a thud followed by hysterical laughter.

It was Danny. He flung himself into the field of flowers and, for some odd but unknown reason, was now rolling around in it while laughing like a hyperactive hyena.

"Enjoying this?" she asked him uncomfortably.

But he continued his bubbly laughter. He didn't even seem to know she was there, and kept stretching and wallowing around. He looked like a little boy in a puddle of water.

She etched closer to him. What was causing him to act this way?

He flipped onto his belly and pushed himself forward with his feet, rubbing his face and arms against the soothing feeling of the velvet-soft blooms. They were so smooth-stemmed and sweet-smelling!

"Uh, Danny, y-you're freaking me out here," she told him, hoping he would stop his behavior. But, only half to her surprise, he didn't stop. She watched with a marginal expression as he chewed on and even swallowed some of the flowers. She picked another one and waved it in his face.

His eyes darted toward the flower she held and he stood up to walk toward it.

"You want this flower? It's way better than the rest," she prompted, waiting patiently to see what he'd do next.

And only about three seconds later, she got her answer. He snatched it from her and began rubbing his nose on it. Then he popped it in his mouth and started chewing happily. He had the wildest, most daft grin she'd ever seen on him as he munched on the flower's petals. But why was he eating them?

Again, she turned to last night, trying to recall things that seemed like a vague dream now. He said something about the flowers, that they were normal in the human world. Her eyes widened. But they were highly toxic in the ghost zone! That must be why he was acting so strangely! Well, at least something made sense now...

She slapped Danny on the back, knocking him over and causing him to spit out the flower. "Don't eat that, Danny! It's poisonous!" Another thought hit her; why wasn't she acting the same way? The question made her look down and inspect herself. But there was no rash, her mind wasn't foggy, and she felt fine and definitely not overly-happy. Why wasn't it-? Duh... She was a human! Danny must've meant it was only poisonous to ghosts, and that's why only he was being affected.

The phantom opened his eyes, revealing them to be glazed-over. His pupils stared in two different directions, one to the right and one to the left. He wasn't crossed-eyed, he was...chameleon-eyed. The spirit transformed back to Danny Fenton and continued to frolic. Even in his human form, he was still affected because he was still half ghost.

Concerned for his safety, Sam pulled Danny up from the meadow of moon flowers and lured him back into the ship with a few picked plants.

She immediately took hold of the controls and rocketed out of the ghost zone. Perhaps the internet would have something on these mysterious blossoms. They passed it all as they hurled back toward Fenton Works, ghosts, doors, and even other islands. They passed easily through the portal to arrive and dock at the basement's lab.

The individualist grabbed Danny's hand and dragged him upstairs to his room, where she closed and locked the door. "Danny, you feeling okay?" she asked breathlessly.

He stared blankly with his chameleon eyes.

She assumed the eyes were a side effect of the flowers' toxins. "Can you speak? Do you remember who I am? What year is it?"

"I'm hungry," he said. His voice sounded normal, though still a little dry from all the laughing he'd done earlier. "Can you fix me something to eat?"

She sighed in relief. Thank God nothing had happened to him. But she would keep him under close surveillance just to be safe.

"Oh, never mind. I found something," he gleefully told her.

She craned her neck when she didn't find any food near him. "What'd you find? I don't see anything."

He turned his head to his side and picked up a sneaker. As she waited in curiosity to see what he would do with a shoe-she thought he had a secret stash and that was where it was hidden-she gasped in disgust when he bit into it. The goth took action instantly at that point, grabbing the shoe and yanking it out of his mouth. "You are _so_ not normal right now, Danny!"

She picked up his cell phone off his desk, being as she had forgotten hers, and dialed Tucker's number. That techno-geek was almost always with his cell phone, pager, and PDA, so it only took two rings before he picked up with a standard, "Hello? Tucker speaking."

"Hey, Tuck-" she began.

"Sam? This is Danny's cell number, why are you calling from it?" he asked.

She sighed in turn. "Because I don't have mine with me. Anyway, we have bigger problems. Danny's gone crazy! We were in the ghost zone working on the map when we came across a poisonous flower. I'm okay, but something's wrong with Danny."

A haughty laugh was heard over the phone. "How wrong?" his voice asked, not doing so well in stifling his laughter.

"Tucker, he tried to eat a shoe!" was all the convincing he needed. He was about to say something, but chaos erupted over the other end of the line. "Agh! Danny, get your head out of there!" A crash and a clank and the sound of Sam scolding him for something. "LEGGO OF MY HAIR!"

"Uh, S-Sam...?" he asked softly after a thirty seconds of silence. There was no response from her. "Sam?"

And the chaos wasn't done, apparently. "GIVE ME BACK THAT PHONE! AND DON'T PUT THOSE KEYS IN YOUR MOUTH!"

From what he knew, Danny wasn't okay. Not if Sam was yelling at him like that. And to pull on her hair? Danny would never sanely do that! It was about time he came over for a little look-see. He shut his cellular phone and put it neatly in his pocket. Sam had Danny's phone, and from the sound of it, they were at his house. So the best choice would be to go to his friend's house first.

* * *

"Have you ever seen a purple cow? They make blue cheese!" he chirped as he swung from the ceiling fan in the living room. Amazingly enough, that thing hadn't broken yet.

"Daniel James Fenton! Get down here this _instant_ young man!" Maddie ordered. She knew it was to no avail; she'd been trying to get him off that fan for at least ten whole minutes. He hadn't listened to one word and she was about ready to give up.

"Yeah, Danny! Just calmly come down, and we'll work something out," Jazz agreed.

"I heard a fireman one time he was awesome don't you just love hearing sounds..." He continued to babble on and on, without knowing that nobody knew what in the world he was talking about.

"What's he talking about?" Sam asked, curious herself to know.

"I have no idea," Jack answered, "But I think I heard the word 'fudge' in there somewhere, and now I'm kind of interested."

"Danny! Get down here!" the goth called up to him.

"I know this one guy who knows this one guy who knows Thomas Franklin and Benjamin Edison!" he proudly and daftly exclaimed.

Tucker opened the door to find himself being caught up in the mess. "Danny? What are you doing? Get off that fan!"

"I'm a gummy bear! Woo! Look at me! I'm a funny, yummy, gummy bear!" he said.

Tucker walked up to Sam and pulled her aside from everyone else. "What's the matter with him?" he asked.

"If I knew, I wouldn't have called you," she stated simply. It was true, what other reason would she have for calling him over here? To have a cup of tea while they discussed politics?

"Well, I can't do anything until he comes down," he said, "And I'm not going up there to get him."

She rolled her eyes and continued to watch Danny nervously. He was curled up around the beam that held the fan to the ceiling. If that broke, he could get seriously injured! Or worse... But she stopped herself, not wanting to think about what could happen to him if he fell along with the fan. And thankfully, she didn't have to. His dad had gotten a ladder and was attempting to remove his son from the fan.

"Now, Danny, let's not do anything hasty..." Jack said, trying to calm down the now angered boy.

The deranged halfa bent down and growled at his father, in whom he didn't seem to recognize. His eyes seemed to flare with...some kind of emotion that was yet to be determined. He bared his teeth and clenched his fists. "You'll never take me from my salamanders!" he screamed angrily as he gripped the pole that connected the fan and ceiling.

"Danny, there's no salamanders!" Maddie shouted to him for the fifth time. "Just let your father get you down, sweetie!"

"Don't worry, little guy, you'll be safe," Danny whispered caringly to an invisible salamander. He continued to glare threateningly at his father.

"Danny, it'll be okay. Just come down..." Jack's big mistake occurred when he stretched out his arm to help his boy down.

"Bulldozers need their space!" Danny protested. He opened his mouth as wide as he could and, when his father's hand came within reach, he bit down as hard as he possibly could.

His dad screeched in pain and pulled back, knocking himself off the ladder when he did. The large man looked up at Danny then back down to inspect his hand.

"How'd he get up there in the first place?" the geek asked his friend.

She merely looked at him strangely and mouthed, "You don't wanna know."

Her reply made him shudder. "Hey, Danny! Look, it's cheese!" he yelled to his friend.

A wild smile crossed his face and he looked in the direction his friend was now pointing toward. "Where? Where's the cheese?"

"It's way back there! You'll have to come down to get it! And you better hurry; the cheese is running away!" Tucker prompted.

Still grinning, he slipped one foot through the blades of the fan and pushed out with the other, becoming airborne in seconds. He tucked his head under him and began to roll in midair. Just as he touched the ground, the rolling action made him move forward, towards Tucker. He went from a roll to a stand in two seconds flat and grabbed the geek's shirt. "WHERE DID THE LIGHT BULBS GO?"

Looked like the cheese wasn't the item anymore; now it was light bulbs. "Dang, you _just_ missed 'em... But don't bother looking for them, they'll be back real soon." It was when the hybrid had a worried look on his face that he noticed his eyes. They looked like a chameleon's eyes. They were almost...inhuman. It was actually hard to tell whether or not he was looking at him or somewhere else. It was definitely something worth looking into. "Sam," he whispered to his right, "what happened to his eyes?"

"I think it's a side effect of the poison," she whispered back. And not a moment too soon! Jack, Maddie, and even Jazz came running toward their son or sibling.

Maddie pulled him away from Tucker and turned him toward her. "Sweetie, are you feeling okay?" she asked as she put a hand on his head to check for a high temperature.

"The internet is delicious," he replied.

"Maddie, it's just the stress of everything that's happening lately!" Mr. Fenton stated surely. "Why, I remember when I was a boy..." the man's voice trailed off as he lumbered into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat, seeming to have completely forgotten about his hand already.

* * *

After asking Danny a series of questions and receiving the most outrageous and random responses, Tucker had finally come up with a conclusion. He came over to the goth with a knowing look plastered on his face.

"Well, what's wrong with him?" Sam asked.

"You know those poisonous flowers you were telling me about earlier?" He continued only when Sam nodded. "Those were not only unnatural, but they were in the ghost zone, intensifying their power by about tenfold. The reason nothing was near that little island, I'm assuming, is because no ghost wants to get trapped."

"Trapped?" she questioned.

"Well, the flowers pull in their victims by producing a scented nectar. The scent itself actually controls the ghost at that point. But it stops after awhile. I'm guessing the whole reason is for the flowers' reproduction. They need something to carry their pollen from one flower to the next. And ghosts just happen to be their target. Anyway, once they get close enough, the ghost would probably roll around in it. It's the same effect found in a certain herb for cats. Basically, the flowers are a catnip for ghosts. Ghostnip. Turns out, they're only dangerous if you eat one. But the bad news is that would happen every time a ghost got near the flowers. The poison found in the flowers messes with a ghost's head. Or at least Danny's head. Other ghosts would probably die if they ate one. But since he's half human, I don't think it affects him like it does other ghosts," Tucker explained.

"So, basically, the flowers made Danny go nuts?" she asked, wanting verification on the topic.

"Yeah. But that's about all I can tell from the interrogation with him and the flower samples you gave me. All I know is that this won't be permanent. The poison will eventually work its way out of his system, but because he ate so many, it can take anywhere from a week to a month. So you might wanna get used to this new Danny until the old one comes back," he said. A sigh followed the explanation.

"It tickles when peanuts get headaches," Danny said. Just one of the billions of random comments sure to come.

Neither of the friends could fathom what was going on in his head.

"Just remember, though, that he can't understand logic. He doesn't seem to have any conscience, either. So if you want to talk to him, you have to talk to him in his own language. Bribe him with fake stuff, like I did earlier today. And most importantly, try not to reason with him. It only gets him confused," he added.

"Got it. No sensibility with him," she said.

"Exactly. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go home. My mom still doesn't know why I ran out the door in such a hurry, and I couldn't really tell her why because I thought it might have something to do with Danny's ghost powers," he excused himself. He quickly got up, wished Sam good luck, and dashed out the door, not to be seen again until Monday morning at school.

The exhausted goth turned toward the grinning halfa. What now? Right, right, she needed to talk to him in his own language because he could no longer comprehend anything with sense to it. "How 'd you like the oxygen today?"

"I was in lava and I was floating on a rock. But then I sunk. It felt good to relax after a short day of hunting dust," he replied.

Yeah...okay, she could work with this. Maybe. Probably not at all, but she would try as hard as she could. Sighing, she muttered under breath, "God, Danny, the things I do for you..."

"Have you ever danced with a ferret?" he asked, holding up a belt and offering it to her.

Oh, you had to be kidding! Now she had to dance with a belt? A _belt_? "The things I _put up with_ for you..." she corrected. She sighed heavily, took the belt, held it out in front of her, and began moving in circles around it.

"That's not a ferret!" he shrieked, taking the belt from her. "I'm a ferret!"

She blushed. Yeah, she knew he was insane at the moment, but this was her best friend since second grade. This was the only guy who asked her out on a date and _wasn't_ a fake. Yeah, sure, he thought he was a ferret, but... She told herself it was just one dance, then they could both forget about it and move on. Besides, maybe this crazy Danny wasn't _all_ bad. Maybe she could survive another few weeks with him.

She took a hand he'd offered while she had been engrossed in her thoughts. She turned a shade redder and gasped as he twirled her into his arms. Who knew Danny was such a good dancer? And if this Danny was nuts, one could just imagine what the real Danny danced like. How embarrassing; she was getting so caught up in this dance!

They moved in steady circles around each other until Danny's inaudible head music switched beats. He pulled Sam close and leaned into her. In turn, she leaned backwards until all her weight was supported by the logic-starved halfa. He swung her in a semicircle around him and pulled her back up, their noses almost touching. This didn't scare her because she knew it was only part of the dance routine. Besides, this new Danny probably didn't even know what a kiss was.

The two continued until Danny's head music went off. Then he was back to being...well, whatever it was he thought he was. Looked like he was pretending to be a squirrel, from the way Sam saw it. But to him, she knew, it wasn't pretending. The dude really was ill and anyone who didn't know why would suggest a psych ward. Well, all except his parents and sister. They didn't want him going anywhere and pinned his actions all on stress. Boy, if only they knew the truth...

"Danny, time to go to bed- I mean...the land of...candy?" she said.

"Ooooh...candy. How do we get there?" he asked zealously.

"You go like this and eventually, if you stay like that, you'll go to sleep, which will let you go into the land of candy." She laid down on his bed, which was looking like it was becoming hers, and closed her eyes.

Danny repeated the act on his pallet. At least he knew where to sleep at... "I can't go to sleep without my dove."

"Dove?" she repeated.

Before she had any chance to protest or say no, crazy Danny carried her out of bed and set her in the pallet. Then he snuggled in right beside her and tried to sleep by wrapping his arms around her protectively, as though someone was going to take her away from him.

And how could she be opposed to it? She felt safer than she ever had before now that he had put his arms around her. And she had a chance to feel those biceps of his. All that ghost fighting had obviously paid off. She liked it because his form wasn't nearly large enough to scare her-he still had that same scrawny look-but she knew he was strong enough to protect her when the need arose. And right now, she felt pretty darn protected. Sam wanted it to stay that way.

**A/N**

**lolz! Well, what'd I tell ya? I'll tell you what I told ya; I told ya it was gonna be alot more humorous and random. And I have a perfectly good setup for alot of romantic moments AND funny ones! (you can see how I used the crazy Danny's...well...craziness...to create a spark between them) Oh, and by the way, Danny, or at least right now, thinks of Sam as a teddy bear when he shows her he means her when he says "dove". So, yeah, just to clear that up. I hope you guys literally laughed out loud! 'Cause that's what this chapter was all about! XD (I hope you made this face several times when reading)**

**YAY! A fast update! First one in awhile, huh?**

**New review quota will be a hundred fifty-one (151) reviews. THANK Y'ALL FOR GOING HIGHER EVERY TIME! It touches me deep down *points to heart* in here... *wipes away happy tear***

**Anyways, I ain't got much else to say, so here's y'all's review replies:**

**_Codiak_-Well, congrats, cuz you got random! lolz Just keep in mind for later chapters that whatever Danny does isn't his fault. He literally doesn't know what he's doing or talking about! lolz funny...**

**_The Silver Radio_-I like to make my stories have a purpose to them. But I also like angsty things, so I combined the two to create this thingamabobber. (it's a word; look it up) I like the way you look at my story. You seem to see much more in it than entertainment. OH, and sorry about the 'Desiree spell' theory, but I'd already gotten through just over half the chapter when I read your review... *smiles sheepishly and shrugs* Sorry! You're actually one of the lucky ones 'cause you didn't have to wait like most of my other reviewers, since you just started reading.**

**_lpwriter4life_-XD Ya just found out then! Oh, she's not even far enough along for the baby to get hurt by falling. It just hurts her because her belly is finally starting to swell, meaning she's gonna start showing real soon. But she's trying to be careful, it's just that she's not exactly thrilled about having the baby of a rapist, and therefore she doesn't want to look out for it as much as she would a child conceived by someone she loved (preferably married). She just doesn't tell her feelings toward the baby to anyone in the story because deep down she knows it wasn't the baby's fault if it was conceived or not.**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-Well, real life allowed me to post a new chapter pretty darn fast, so don't go cursing it just yet. lolz**

**_JuneLuxray2_-Oooohhh... 'Kay. I get it now; thanks! You know you're like the only one who didn't show much concern for what was wrong with Danny? XD And they say I'm evil!**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-I swear, you're the only one who'd actually _compliment_ a cliffhanger. I'd say, "WHAT THE CRAP? GIMME MORE DETAILS! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!" XD Yeah, you're actually spot-on. She is getting depressed because she's starting to realize the baby's needs must come before her own, and she hates it. She doesn't like not being ble to do as much as she could before, or being restricted from truly forgetting what happened for the baby to 'arrive'. She's also realizing what all those other pregnant women are talking about when they complain about pregnancy. lolz In case you haven't noticed, Sam isn't eager to tell anyone anything. Though it isn't very clear (or vague) throughout the story, all Sam wants to do is forget it ever happened.**

**_Kpfan72491_-You know, that's kinda hard to reply to. But thanks! I like it when my readers/reviewers think my chapters are good! :D**

**_Kagome51_-Well said, well said indeed! lolz (in case you can't tell, I'm happy right now)**

**_Samara_-Yeah. Oh, and I know Danny seems OOCish in this chapter, but that's how it was meant to be. Since his brain isn't functioning right (obviously...) he can't register his own personality and anything sensible is lost to him. Omg, Ikr? Why do people feel like they have to help out like that when they're the guest? Oh...okay. Meh, I think they have plenty of genres. I hate having to go through every genre, deciding which one best fits the story.**

**_TheSparkledMoon_-No worries. I love anonymous reviews probably just as much as I love signed reviews. They both speak to me and tell me what they think, so I hardly see the difference. Yeah, mine, too. I can't stand it when stories have so many spelling and grammatical errors that you can't even decipher what they're talking about. And I also hate foreign language stories... THIS IS AMERICA PEOPLE! (well, for me it is...I should just shut up now -.-")**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Naturally! *grins* Yep, an epic cliffhanger for a hopefully epic story! (I'm trying to make it epic, but it's super hard to do!)**

**_VampireGurlxox_-Thank goodness! Seems like everyone who likes Danny Phantom likes animals. I have friends who like said show and they also love animals. (whereas I hate hunters...) (the excuse that deer will overpopulate the earth is a complete lie) (we're overpopulating the earth but nobody hunts us) (DEER DESERVE TO LIVE JUST AS MUCH AS A HUMAN DOES!) **

**_hunnybunny276198_-I dunno; I guess it's up to you whether this is serious or not! XD**

**_lilyt789_-Wow. You didn't have to wait at all... Lots of questions. It's still kinda early in the story, so I can't answer them just yet. Not trying to be mean, it's just the Rule of the Authors, ya know?  
**

**Thank you, wonderful reviewers! I give you much praise for...uh...yeah, reviewing. I'm gonna get started on the next chapter because crazy Danny excites me! I love humorous things! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! *clears throat* Sorry...even brunettes can have blond moments, am I right? (rhetorical question, for all who take things as literally as I do)**


	14. Chapter 14

~Chapter 14~

The goth was rudely awoken with a start. Naturally, it was Danny. Crazy Danny. He thought he lost his arm.

The halfa grabbed Sam's shirt and pulled her to eye level. "They took my waving arm! WHY MY WAVING ARM?" he shrieked.

She peeled off his hands and pulled both his arms to show him the blissful truth. "Your arms are right here, Danny. See? Your waving arm, and whatever the other arm is."

"But the ducks... THE DUCKS ARE OUT TO GET ME!" he panicked. "Beware the ducks..."

Why couldn't her pregnancy take over and make her pass out? It would be so much better than dealing with this for...well, she honestly didn't know how long this was gonna last. She hadn't even made it a whole twenty-four hours with him, and she was already about to knock him out, preferably with a bat. How many times had she woken that night thanks to his illusions? Six? This must be the seventh time.

"Next time they won't want waving arm, they'll want something more important... They'll want...my toenails..." he shuddered and yelled out something that probably wasn't even English. It sounded like, "Yolkai!"

She let out a sigh that felt like it had the weight of an anvil attached to it. "Trust me, Danny, I've seen your feet. And I guarantee the safety of of your toenails."

"Are you a princess?" he asked suddenly.

The teen resisted the urge to scream. "No."

He waited a few seconds before responding, "Oh, that's great! I'm a princess, too!"

Anyone else might find this funny. She found it flat-out creepy. She remembered what Tucker said yesterday. He told her to speak to him in _his_ language. There was no logical explanations with him. Anything with sense only confused him. "Danny, hit the...uh...computer people."

"But the computer people are my friends," he whined, "They're my friends 'cause they hate those tooth-stealing fairies!" He glared at something he seemed to see floating in the air.

She looked at whatever he was looking at, but only saw a wall. Wait...was he seriously talking about the Tooth Fairy? "Yeah, I hate those stupid tooth-stealing fairies, too."

He looked at her with sad, crazy eyes. "B-But I love the tooth-stealing fairies... How could you not like them? They bring presents to all the old people on Rooftop Day!"

Oh, God... This was just impossible! How did you work with someone who was just that nuts?

"I'm a meerkat," he said, changing the subject entirely. "You're in my burrow! GET OUT!"

She was right about ready to spit on him when his parents came in. Thank the good Lord...They knew all about Danny's little outbursts, but his dad kept attributing it to stress. Jazz knew differently, and is mom had no choice but to agree with her daughter. "Danny," they said gently, "don't you wanna go back to the land of candy?"

"No! Those candy demons make everybody fat!" He turned around and looked out his window. "Oooh, look, it's a sea snake!"

Well, at least he temporarily understood candy made people fat. Unfortunately, his more clearer moments never lasted. And they were hardly clear moments at all.

"You can sleep downstairs if you want, Sam. It has to be better than up here..." Jack said with a deep yawn.

"Yeah, or I can offer you my bed," Jazz offered.

"Thanks, but he won't go to sleep unless he has his dove with him. And in case you're wondering, his dove would be me...unfortunately." Yeah, right. She actually loved being his dove, but she ended up being his victim when he wasn't asleep. Still, having his arms around her made her feel so safe...she couldn't resist an opportunity like that! She just hoped it would last even when he turned back to normal. As if... He probably wouldn't remember any of this when he was normal again.

Danny perked up and raised his hand, like a student did in class before answering or asking a question. He waved his hand back and forth, as though it was imperative he say it right away.

"Yes, Danny?" Sam groaned. Her frustration toward this new, crazy Danny would only grow until he was normal, and she knew it. That's why she wanted him to revert to his usual self soon. But by the looks of things, that wasn't very likely. She knew that if Tucker called her with news that he might not ever turn back to normal, she'd go strangle him.

He licked her cheek and shouted in her ear, "You taste like weasel!"

She angrily slapped a hand on her cheek and frowned. What in the heck was wrong-...oh yeah... Dude was poisoned. And she forgot that _how_? And was that even a compliment? To say someone tasted good? Weasel _was_ good, right? Or did that mean she tasted bad? The goth allowed herself to mumble something inaudible to anyone as she scrubbed his saliva off her face.

Jazz looked at her parents, who were staring in inward laughter at Sam. She knew what they were thinking. Poor Sam. But at the same time, it was humorous because it was just so...random! She had to stifle her own laughter to avoid upsetting the vegetarian. "So, uh, you sure about not wanting to sleep somewhere else?"

"I'm fine. I'll make it somehow," she answered, still hardly able to believe he _licked_ her. "Besides, I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep this time. After seven different wake-up calls, I think it's morning already." She pointed to his bedroom window; light was shining through.

"Well, suit yourself. I'm going back to bed. Everybody knows ghosts don't attack on Sundays!" Jack said. He thought he knew everything about spectres, but he didn't know diddly squat. In fact, Maddie was the one always fixing his inventions. He never made anything on his own without it blowing up at least once or twice.

Everyone else agreed, even Jazz, and left the room to let her continue her suffering with the loud, obnoxious Danny. Maybe she would try to go back to bed, too. But then again, how was that possible? She glanced over at Danny and sighed for what had to be the millionth time in under twenty-four hours. She bounded over to him and ripped a glue bottle from his mouth. "That's _not_ a lollipop!" she scolded.

"Trees are great comedians," he said, as though it was some kind of common fact that everyone was supposed to know about.

She face-palmed. Since when did trees have to do anything with glue bottles? Man, any other time, that thought would put you in a mental hospital. Speaking of hospitals, what would happen tomorrow, when they had to go back to school? Danny would never pass as a regular student! Hold it, hold it... Surely his parents wouldn't allow him to attend school like this. They'd have to be some sort of moron to let him go anywhere public.

"I like rodents," he thought out loud. Or at least she thought he thought it. Maybe he didn't think at all. Maybe he was just randomly spitting out this stuff. And speaking of spitting out... A slap on the back of his head forced a piece of string to come out of his mouth.

"Danny, for the last time, keep things out of your mouth!" she reiterated. Well, Tucker never said this would be easy... In fact, he'd wished her good luck right before he left. Ah, well...all good things came to an end eventually. This was no exception. So far, Danny had put just about everything in his mouth. That included the following: pencils, papers, glue bottles, crayons, tape, toothpicks, forks, yarn, uncooked macaroni shells, keys, his cell phone, his sister's cell phone, the charger to a laptop, an I-Pod, headphones, a dead leaf, lint, a rubber band ball, another rubber band ball, and a piggy bank. Oh, yeah, and he'd found a tennis ball. Naturally, that went in his mouth as well as everything else. Oh, what she would give for an inside look at what was going on in his head...

His response was anything but ordinary. He hopped on her back and yelled, "Giddy-up, dove!"

She strained to form her arms into a seat for him. This had to be the one thing other than killing himself that he hadn't done yet. Doves didn't normally carry people, and teenage girls didn't normally carry teenage boys on their backs, but when the teenage boy was nuts and kept kicking the teenage girl in her sides while yelling "Giddy-up!", the teenage girl and the dove didn't really have a choice.

And the downside to more muscle mass was that he weighed much more than he had before he got his powers. "Okay, Danny! Stop kicking me and I'll go!" she croaked.

He tightened his legs around her waist and put his arms around her neck, the same wild smile plastered on his face, and laughed happily as she dragged herself forward. "Let's go to the blanket factory!" he chirped.

Was there even such thing as a blanket factory? And why did _she_ have to be the horsey? If anything, he should be doing this for her, trying to impress her! This wasn't what a guy usually did after a first date... She repeatedly told herself that he was mental, insane, nuts, crazy. But her body kept yelling, "GET THE HECK OFF OF ME!" She chose to listen to her mind for his sake. "Danny, dove is getting kinda tired... Wouldn't you rather have your dad do this? Or Jazz? Or anybody but me?" she strained.

Ignoring her, he hopped off and dashed to the door. "I love this show." His chameleon eyes stared blankly in different directions, but he was supposedly looking at whatever way his nose pointed. So right now, he was staring at the door.

She sighed again, the thought of the real Danny popping into her head. The way his eyes stayed straight, and the way those straight eyes looked at her so caringly. He'd been such a gentleman and had shown such chivalry to her. She wanted to bury herself in his chest and pour her heart out to him. She truly wanted him to know how she felt, but at the same time she didn't want to remember. If she remembered, then she wouldn't forget. And if she never forgot, how else would she make the pain go away? "You don't plan on returning to your old self anytime soon, do you?"

"It's about chickens!" he gleefully exclaimed. No one knew what he was talking about. What was about chickens? And was chickens even what he meant?

Surprisingly enough, he was totally and utterly unpredictable. He could be mad one second and on cloud nine the next. And here _she_ was supposed to be the one with mood swings...

"Don't you love it when they dip pennies in nitrogen?" he asked, sounding pretty curious. He didn't wait for her to answer before breaking out in a weird, completely indescribable dance.

Pennies? Nitrogen? Where'd he come up with this stuff? She didn't have time to think anymore about it. She hurled herself toward the bathroom and slammed the door closed. And then she did what any other pregnant girl would do. She threw up. Which was weird...there wasn't much to regurgitate. But hey, being pregnant could do things to you. Tears came to her eyes as puking became more and more painful. Her throat burned, and her stomach felt weak. But somehow it managed to keep going.

"I like graham crackers and spoons," could be heard from the other side of the door as she finally stopped after several more minutes of barfing. "Oh, and giraffes!"

She yawned tiredly. This goth was ready to curl up under the shower curtain to sleep, if that what it took. But if she slept, she knew she'd have to endure another horrible nightmare. One of them had been about herself; there were mirrors all around her and different negative emotions were displayed in each one. And another had been about...nothing. That dream had to have been the scariest one yet, since she had them every night. Ever since 'the first incident' occurred, she hadn't been able to sleep restfully. One night, she feared, she would remember exactly what happened via dream.

"Don't remember, Manson, don't remember..." she'd told herself time and time again. She didn't know how much longer her mind would hold out, though. Yesterday through up until now, Danny had provided an excellent distraction. But now that she was alone in the restroom, that distraction had been taken away. Her body felt weak, Danny's voice had become barely audible, and she wanted to remove herself from her worries. But the only way to do that was to forget, which she couldn't seem to accomplish. How did all the other girls deal with this? Had it been easy for them? Or was it just harder for her?

"If you remember, you'll carry it to your grave..."

She got up, with much protesting from her body, and dragged her feet out the door. It was only natural that the first thing she be greeted by must be Danny. "Popcorn is what makes you thank clouds." Eh, what could she say? It was his way of saying hello.

The sweet smell of breakfast, a welcome relief to her weakened stomach, wafted into the room from the crack under the door. Smelled like the leftover pancakes were being reheated. It also smelled like...brownies? She figured they were for Danny's father. He loved anything chocolate, his favorite being fudge.

Even the deranged halfa seemed to smell it, for he was crying out, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" He was also running around the room without any clear aim as to where he was headed.

Sam watched him, curious just to see when he'd stop on his own or get tired, but after five minutes of nonstop yelling and running, her belly grumbled loudly in agonizing hunger. She opened the door, and even before she got a foot through, the hybrid flew out to go get whatever he assumed was breakfast. She could only hope it wasn't glue...

But alas, he always found something worse... She came downstairs just in time to see a can of paint being taken from him. It was clear he'd eaten some; the evidence was all over his face. Who knew green looked good on him? Kinda made him look like a clown.

"Give me my skin back!" he screeched at his mother, obviously enraged. "My bubble needs it!"

Sam, dreading to so much as be seen at the moment, slipped silently into the kitchen. Just as she'd hoped, she went by unnoticed by his confused parent. It was an awkward situation; who would want to be caught in it?

"Sweetie, you don't have any bubbles and you still have your skin," Maddie tried vainly to tell her son.

"Face the wrath of my slinky!" he shouted. He continued to wait for his 'slinky' to appear and...do something?...to his mother. And when he thought it did-in his mind it had arrived-he laughed evilly. "Yes! Cry for mercy! Scream in terror! Shriek in horrifying horror!"

"There's no slinky, Danny. You haven't had one since fourth grade," she tried to reason.

Oh, no... Reasoning, it only confused him! Why, Mrs. Fenton, why?

As expected, a baffled expression crossed his face and he looked around everywhere. "Oh, no! What happened to the geese? They were supposed to meet me at seven! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT MY WAFFLES?"

"What waffles? We have pancakes, not waffles," she said.

"But worse... WHERE AM I GOING TO STASH MY SOCKS? I NEED MY FUR!" he yelled, confusing anyone who was around to hear him.

"Uh, Mrs. Fenton, maybe you shouldn't try to reason with him!" the individualist shouted from inside the kitchen.

But it was too late, Danny was in a confused, unpredictable frenzy. He'd worked himself into a rant, insisting that something was missing or lost or needed to be found and desperately but futilely trying to decide what to do about it.

"No! No, I can't go on like this! I CAN'T ERASE THE PEN FEATHERS! WHY CAN'T I GO CARTWHEELING?" he persisted. Oh, Mrs. Fenton, please never try such a stupid thing as reasoning with a mental person again... Please don't, for the sake of all around you. Especially Sam Manson. "NO, I LOST MY EYEBALL!" Danny practically broke down crying and laughing and screaming right then and there. Well, now everyone knew not to reason with him...

* * *

It finally ended; the entire hour of torture finally ended when he calmed himself down by grazing blissfully on a couch pillow. Everyone had long ago decided to eat without him and just let him calm down on his own, since he didn't respond to anything they said. Nobody, however, knew about his encounter with the poisonous flower nor about his temporary intoxication because of it. Sam hadn't told them about anything because she knew it might blow his secret. Going into the ghost zone; why would any human do that? Other than if they were with a ghost...

True, the topic of why he was acting as he was was brought up at the table, but his dad passed it off as stress. He also insisted that Danny go to school. Claimed it would make a man out of him. Claimed that he needed to work off all that stress by facing his problems. Also claimed he needed to get it out of his system. Oh, he needed to get it out of his system, all right... But it wasn't stress, it was that horrible poison. He was lucky she'd been there before he ate one too many flowers...

**A/N**

**Yeah...not the best ending, huh? Oh well. I'll be updating anyway, so keep a watchful eye out. MORE DANNY RANDOMNESS TO COME!**

**Um...I don't have anything else to say. WAIT! ... ... ... Nope, nevermind, false alarm.**

**New quota will be *pulls out random note card from wherever* one hundred seventy-two (172) reviews. It's actually just twelve more. And out of the 2,500+ readers, only twelve of you have to review. Not that hard, people. Just a simple "Cool story" or a nice "Update soon" will do just fine.**

**And as always (except for that time on Halloween, but hey, I was pushed for time), I offer your replies (take 'em or leave 'em, cuz they ain't going anywhere):**

**_aras the crazy writer_-lolz ikr? Kinda hard coming up with all this stuff though... Really tests your randomness limits! Thankfully, I have the wildest imagination, so you don't have to worry, but if you want any phrases to be welcomed into the story, I'd be glad to make room! Just review them to me asking if I can put it into the story and I'll put it into one of Danny's random comments. It's that easy!**

**_Kpfan72491_-Yeah, I still add sweetness because it'll suck if Sam starts to hate Danny, especially when it isn't his fault. So I figured that by making her his 'dove', she and him had some kind of connection/relationship even if he doesn't comprehend who she really is.**

**_hunnybunny276198_-idk, I just...did. You really wouldn't want to be in my mind because it changes thought so fast that fifteen thoughts could be in my head at one time. I needed an outlet and so I made Danny my outlet. :D**

**_JuneLuxray2_-Sure, but you know I' eviller. More comin' up! Eventually; not sure when I'll be able to update yet. I also came down with a cold, so...yap, it's kinda harder to write.**

**_Codiak_-It'll still be dire and emotional, trust me on that. But I felt like the story needed...something more, something...crazy Danny-ish. lolz! Glad you liked it! What was your favorite line?**

**_lilyt789_-lolz I made that face when I was writing it! XD See? Did it again. You're the who-knows-what-number person to say that! Everybody seems to like crazy Danny! lolz**

**_lpwriter4life_-Technically, he is high. High on flower toxins. XD Actually, I don't even think someone who's high would do what he did!**

**_Rachpop15_-XD I didn't know what else to call it! roflz idk what the heck he dreams about when he's like this! It's crazy Danny! Let your imagination roam. lolz you have a ferret? I've always wanted one! (yes, I'm being sarcastic but I'm serious about wanting one)**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-Then be prepared to laugh alot more, 'cause he's gonna stay this way for awhile! lolz**

**_KP100_-Wow, laughing AND awwing? lolz What was your fave line?**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-Yeah, the edge of the middle. Why? It not right in the middle, it's the edge of the middle. It's better than the middle. Yeah, that's why I put in crazy Danny. To give everyone a reprieve from feeling bad for Sam. I won't tell you whether or not they do. You'll just have to read to find out.**

**_Samara_-Yeah, I _do_ feel impolite if I don't help out...maybe that's what it is. I didn't want it to get too crazy/jumpy. Then it would just be another one of those lame stories that nobody really wants to read but still compliments. Really? Me, too! It'd be so fun to wallow around in a field of flowers! So long as you didn't eat them... O.o Yeah, but then there would be too many. It would take you like, all day to pick through and there would be mass chaos on fanfiction! But I do think they should let you pick at least one or two more (tops).**

**_Kagome51_-Probably my most random comment ever! I'm so proud of that line! *wipes tear from eye***

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-I do tend to work fast when I'm in the zone (yes, I really do have a zone I go into when writing) but sometimes I get severe writer's block and brain farts occur all the time when that happens. Woah, there! Don't go breaking a limb just for a story! lolz! Yeah, I just love surprising people with random stuff! XD No danger until Danny picks up a butter knife! rofl Yeah, poor Sam! She was all like, "What the...?" And she was also like, "LEGGO OF MY HAIR!" lolz! Don't ask why he was pulling her hair to begin with; you don't wanna know... O.o**

**_VampireGurlxox_-lolz Crazy Danny is very lovable!**

**_Person_-That was just the first chapter. Story does kinda progress from there, you know.**


	15. Chapter 15

~Chapter 15~

"Long elbows are what turtles have," Danny stated matter-of-factly. Still no one knew what he was talking about. Still no one bothered to figure it out. And thankfully, no one dared to reason with it. After what had happened yesterday, there wasn't any chance someone would be foolish enough to cause a similar scenario.

Sam still couldn't believe his dad let him attend school! Who would be so stupid as to-? Well, she wasn't going to finish _that_ sentence... But it was obvious something was wrong with him. How could Mr. Fenton still relate this behavior to stress? And she'd just barely gotten through the weekend with his insanity; how would Tucker and the rest of the school fare? Probably not much better, she figured.

What's more, she'd given up on trying to communicate with him via his own language. She just couldn't pull off that kind of random craziness! And it sucked because Danny didn't seem to understand anything she said. The only communication they could both understand was when he spoke of her as his 'dove'. Even while intoxicated, he seemed to have a deep admiration for her. Kind of like part of him was still in there, just not able to manifest itself properly. It seemed that way because he remembered her as his 'dove', but not as his friend or date. It almost didn't matter, because he guarded his 'dove' jealously and fiercely. He grew horribly angry when she left or when someone wanted her to come near them for any given reason. The only one he tolerated, in fact, was Tucker. Hopefully he had the same connection with him as he did her. Except not as a dove but maybe as...well, not even she knew that.

She finished her thoughts right on time; the techno-geek was just greeting the group with a, "Hey, Sam! Hey...Danny?"

The goth spent the next five minutes of her day explaining how the halfa's father refused to let him stay home, partially out of fear of him wrecking the place. "...and so now we're at school, waiting for the unspeakable and unthinkable to happen."

"What do you think he's gonna do next, anyway?" he stupidly asked.

As if _she_ knew... Nobody could fathom what went on in the hybrid's head right now. He knew that, she knew it, even his family knew it. Save for his dad, anyway. He was sure he knew the problem. "Honestly, Tuck, I wouldn't know even if it would save my life."

Tucker raised a hand to put it on Sam's shoulder so he could sigh in agreement-his hand made a more dramatic effect-but was abruptly stopped by Sam. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

He perked an eyebrow in question.

"Danny thinks I'm his dove. He gets pretty vicious whenever someone gets near me or touches me. He clawed his own sister for trying to shake my hand," she said.

He yanked his hand back and looked at Danny to see if he had gotten mad. Thankfully, he hadn't. But it looked as if he was keeping a watchful chameleon eye on him. And his body had tensed up just a little. She was right; he might get violent with anyone who messed with Sam. But why? He wasn't supposed to be able to comprehend who anyone was or what they were doing. So why did he seem to know who Sam was? And furthermore, why did he get defensive of her? Maybe the poison hadn't affected all of him; maybe it had only affected most of him. Therefore, maybe a part of him still remembered who she was, just not in a normal way. And if that was the case...then maybe... Maybe what? Could it make a difference in the poison's effects on him? No, obviously not.

But still, note to self: touch Sam and die.

"Corncobs make excellent planets," the halfbreed said, relaxing only when he saw Tucker move his hand away from 'his dove'. Now that the threat had passed, he needn't worry.

"You know, a planet of corncobs wouldn't be half bad," the vegetarian thought aloud. Like she cared if Tucker heard; he knew all too well about her animal-saving craze. So a statement like this was almost always heard coming from her mouth. And she wanted it to be heard; she loved making a statement. But it wasn't just any statement, it had to be a statement she believed in. Like not hunting animals, living a healthy and meat-free lifestyle, or not dissecting frogs and other animals. "It'd help everyone to stop clogging their arteries with grease."

"Not true, Sam. You really do need meat in your diet. That's why you have to take supplements every day. You don't eat any meat or dairy," he argued.

Yeah, and now she had to take extra supplements for the baby. Actually, she needed to schedule an appointment with a doctor, like Danny had recommended before he went nuts. She needed the prenatal care, but didn't have a job to pay for it. True, she had the money from all those birthdays, so she had enough cash to last awhile, but she wanted to save that money for day care or something like paying her debt to the Fentons for allowing her to live at their house. Right now, it was imperative that she save that money for more important things. Once school was over, she would have to start browsing through job offers.

Sensing that his friend was thinking about her pregnancy, Tucker was filled with guilt and tried to change the subject. "But you know...hunting animals should really be banned."

This worked every time, and even now it didn't fail. She snapped out of her thoughts and agreed vehemently. "Exactly! And that crap about 'deer overpopulating the Earth'! What kind of excuse is that? We humans are overpopulating the Earth, and you don't see the animals hunting us! So then why should we hunt the animals? Why are all those poor animals being made into wall art? IT SUCKS! IT'S DISGUSTING JUST TO THINK ABOUT!"

Tucker sighed in regret. Why, of all subjects, did he have to choose that one to change it to? There was a reason they'd never talked about hunting in front of Sam. She kept at it for half a day every time they so much as mentioned it. He really needed to start thinking about these things before just blurting them out like he had. Why couldn't he have chosen global warming or something? Something that wouldn't aggravate her to no end.

The day progressed. As to be expected, Danny was saying the most ridiculous things. Teachers would ask him questions but the answers he came up with were outrageous! Like when he was asked about where the Magna Carta was signed at and by whom was it signed, his answer should've been, "It was signed by King John at Runnymeade." His answer was anything but that! He'd said, "Look! There's George Bush driving a banana!" Everyone looked, much to Sam and Tucker's surprise, to find no banana nor George Bush driving one.

The day had continued on as such, but the real action occurred when Paulina and her groupies began picking on Sam. At first sight of Danny, everyone kept their distance. But as the bombard of rather hurtful comments and sneers continued, they started getting closer and closer to her. And even worse, they hadn't noticed when Danny's body tensed. Tucker had tried to warn them, but they'd ignored him. In their eyes, he was a loser and a nobody; why _should_ they listen to him?

"You might not want to get too close, ladies..." he warned suggestively, "You could end up getting hurt..."

A low rumbling sound came from the back of Danny's throat, but still the girls didn't notice. Sam didn't even notice; she was too busy getting sucked into useless arguments. The guttural noise continued at a low rumble, stopping when the girls were just inches away from 'his dove'.

The halfa hopped in front of Sam and grabbed the collar of the first girl within his grasp, pulling her up close to his face. His chameleon eyes glared threateningly at the girl he held. His teeth were bared down at her and his expression told her he was very angry right now.

While the rest of the girls scattered, the girl Danny held was shoved against the lockers.

Sam watched in horror as he did this. Quick flashbacks came to her mind. The man getting angry with her. How scared she was. Him pressing her back against the side of a wall. The feeling of the bricks scratching against her skin. Fearing for her life.

"NOOOOO!" she screamed to the top of her lungs, scaring even Danny. Scaring _especially_ Danny. She squatted down and pressed her legs against her stomach, which had a very small baby bump protruding from it. Tears were trailing down her face, wetting her shirt and the floor of the halls.

Danny dropped the girl and made no attempt to chase her down as she ran away. He cautiously crept toward his dove. A concerned expression came onto his face. "Pigs make a good bunny friend," he tried to console her.

Normally, Tucker would've tried to comfort her, too. But seeing how Danny reacted to someone who wasn't even touching her, he had to reconsider. Besides, after being raped, maybe this was what Sam needed. Maybe Danny would help her get over the trauma of it. Of course, he dared not bring this up to her. She had to leave just for Danny to explain to him what happened; it was obviously a hard experience to go through.

The halfa knelt down and rested his head on her shoulder, letting a small whining sound escape him. "Locks are icky. Fire is freezing my gym," he mumbled. Who knew what that meant, but it seemed to be his way of helping her feel better.

She reached her arms around him and squeezed, telling herself that he was only trying to protect her from what he assumed was a threat.

"Sam, I think he knows who you are. And I think he knows what happened to you. That's why he's so protective of you," Tucker told her.

It would make sense, the way the geek had put it. A part of him recognized her, and it was the same part that wanted to protect her. But because of the poisons in the moon flower, that part could get out of hand and cause him to do things he'd never normally do. And yet, for some strange reason, it still made her feel safe. It made her feel like he truly cared about her, truly loved her. She never wanted this feeling to go away.

"Thunder in the flesh. But shorts in mighty," Danny said, a tone in his voice making his statement sound compassionate. Almost like he was agreeing with Tucker...

Sam looked up at him without letting go of her halfa. "Think so?" she sniveled uncharacteristically.

"Well, there's no other explanation I can think of. Maybe he just can't tell what's a threat and what's not. Take me, for instance. You saw how he tensed up when I got close to you, right? I'm thinking he'll do that with anyone who gets near you because a part of him remembers what happened to you and wants to protect you. It's the only conclusion I could come to," he said.

She tightened her grip on the hybrid. The goth had no intention of letting go anytime soon, but there were classes to go to. The sounding bell made sure to remind them of this fact.

"In his mind, I'm assuming," Tucker continued as they walked steadily into their next class, "he's probably thinking of it as, 'This person wants to hurt Sam!' instead of, 'This person won't hurt her.' See; I think it's more of a straightforward approach when it comes to you. He's overly-cautious around other people, but for your sake. The only one he'll let close to you is himself, because he doesn't want you to get hurt. Make sense now?"

She took a deep breath to calm herself down. All the commotion in the halls had drained her. "Yeah, more or less."

The geek was speechless, but not due to shock. If anything, he understood why she didn't entirely understand. It was hard to explain, and he felt as though he wasn't doing a very good job of it. It might be easier to tell her Danny 'liked-liked' her alot, but he had no idea how their date went. If it went bad, the statement might make her angry, especially given how out-of-whack her hormones were at the moment. If it went good, then the statement might only serve to upset her because her beloved Danny was gone.

"Doo-doo-dee-da-ha!" Danny sang softly.

The goth reluctantly let go of him as the final bell rang. If they didn't get to class pronto, they'd gain a detention. Whoop-de-doo...

**A/N**

**Okay, short chapter, I know. BUT! I have an awesome and unusual reason for this shortened chappie. Ready, guys? I'm actually WRITING a story! As in, I have my own characters and setting. As in, IT'LL BE SENT TO A PUBLISHER! I just have to finish the story, which will be called Bestia, and I can make a copy to send to a local publisher. Yes, I know it'll be hard, but I hope to have your support with this! So far I have four pages done. So if and when you see it in book stores, remember that you witnessed the dawning of a new author. And remember that it was you who helped me to write it! ^.^ If I hadn't gotten all those reviews from you guys, I don't think I'd have ever gotten to even writing a story! So thank you all so much! (and no, this is not just me chasing down a dream that'll never come true)**

**New quota of reviews will be...uh...two hundred six (206) reviews. Man, I hope that's not too much to ask of you...**

**Here are the replies to all your wonderful reviews:**

**_VampireGurlxox_-Aw, thanks! lolz I have Microsoft Word up so when I read your review it wanted to give me the definition of 'job'. Insane, huh?**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Um...I temporarily go crazy and eventually jot down every word I think is random. I also occasionally have help from my reviewers.**

**_BombtasticSkittles_-That's good! :P**

**_JuneLuxray2_-XD Wow! That's gotta be the most unexpected thing I've heard all day!**

**_aras the crazy writer_-lolz perhaps, perhaps... Well, you gots an update! lolz**

**_Codiak_-lolz, yeah that line was pretty good, if I may say so myself.**

**_Kagome51_-XD Oh no, not the evil grin!**

**_lpwriter4life_-XD yeah, that was pretty funny! I liked the fun Danny better though. idk why... He just seemed...ya know...normaler. (its a word in MY dictionary) I already told you guys that. Tucker explained that Danny will return to normal in an undecided time frame by working the poison out of his body.**

**_TwilightObsessed91_-lolz Your review was so concise...**

**_KP100_-lolz I love making other ppl laugh! Funny, though, 'cause in real life I can only do sarcasm. No jokes or pranks for me!**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-Oh man, don't laugh your head off! O.o I'm glad you like him. lolz It'd be bad if you didn't!**

**_JazzedVanilla_-Yeah, but I'm also trying to write a real story that could be a big hit in real life instead of over the internet. I'm sorry, but I have schoolwork and story-writing and fanfic-updating. It's alot of work for one girl...**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-XD Yeah! I was cracking up while I was writing that part! lolz! SERIOUS lolz! Nah, he'll detox in due time. Til then, enjoy his crazy randomness! :D Yeah, I actually did have in mind a scene where he transformed by accident.**

**_Kpfan72491_-lolz Thanks, that was my goal!**

**_Rachpop15_-Really? Cool! XD Good point! Woah! Twenty? 4 realz?**

**_fishy9494_-Thanks!**

**_Kitty Ghost_-lolz Don't pass out!**

**_The Silver Radio_-Yeah, yikes! lolz but it's funny, you gotta admit!**

**_lilyt789_-idk! How many times you ppl gonna ask me that? lolz! It's fun watching you wonder though... *grins***

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Well now you gets to see it for yourself! Interestinger!**

**_Samara_-Very true... Yeah, that's cuz it WAS totally useless! XD I just wanted a lighter mood for the story. But after this it'll get alot darker, so enjoy it while it lasts.**

**_hunnybunny276198_-Just did! lolz**

**_RainingHearts4Ever_-No, because remember what I said last chapter? It'd kill a full ghost. Danny is full ghost, full human. If his full ghost part were to be separated, it would ultimately die of the flower's poisons. Danny, at that point, would be forever human.**

**_Rosealyn 'Flinx' Roth_-She technically still has him, just not the way she wants to have him. lolz!**

**_Titansgirl-otherstuff_-YAY! YOU FINALLY REVIEWED! Probably the best Christmas present you gave me! (don't get me wrong; I still like the others as well) Aw dangit, Kris! I didn't read your review in time! Can't you give me another chance? I'll try to update sooner! And for God's sake, quit calling me Mickey!**

**_Gracie407_-Ah, no harm done, right? Yay for awesomer!**

**_Inventor of ZADRF_-lolz You must be exhausted from all that funny! Pft! I always involve more than one problem in my stories! This one's no different. I hope you like what's in store!**


	16. Chapter 16

~Chapter 16~

It had been three whole weeks since the whole 'Danny abnormally crazy' incident. But right now, Danny's intoxication was the least of Sam's worries. It was so obvious she was pregnant by now! Her breasts were growing larger, not to mention her stomach, and her hormones were now so..._weird_...that she would get all lovey-dovey with Danny. And this seemed to freak the poor guy out. He allowed her to hug him and squeeze him as tightly as she wanted, but he sometimes got confused as to why she was acting the way she was and started a ramble about...well, anything someone normal _wouldn't_ think of! So it was only natural that she feel guilty for pulling the whole school into a state of panic whenever he had to calm himself down by chewing on on his arm or the desk or something else. You get the point, basically.

"Sam, I promise you, you aren't that fat," Tucker said for what had to be the hundredth time that day.

She held the phone closer to her ear. "Not _that_ fat? What are you insinuating, Tucker? Am I really just so disgusting you can't tell me the truth? IS THAT WHAT IT IS?" she screamed.

Danny used to get scared by her screaming, but he'd grown used to it. He hadn't detoxed yet, so he was still as random as ever. Except, of course, when he called Sam his 'dove'. He knew what he meant when he called her that. Never once did he say her name since the moon flowers. He knew she liked it, though.

The pregnant goth's mood meter swiveled to sorrowful. "Oh, man, Tucker! The whole school's gonna laugh at me... I'm a slut!"

"Sam!" the geek huffed, "Don't say that!" He didn't want to bring up the subject of rape to her, especially since she still hadn't gotten over it. But he was getting frustrated with her all the time! Her pregnant hormones were causing such severe mood swings, she could go from being on top of the world to wanting to break someone in half. "You aren't a slut, and you know you aren't."

"Blobs are in the driveway!" Danny yelled from somewhere in the house. "I'll make sure the crickets don't escape; you guys get the hobos. Dove," he called to Sam, "do you come with an instruction manual?"

Oh, no; he did _not _just say that! "DANNY, SHUT UP!" came the response.

"You know," the geek said over the phone, "you don't have to be so hard on him. I mean, none of this is really his fault."

"Tucker, he can't understand what I'm saying anyway. Like talking to a random baby," she replied.

Tucker had no choice but to agree. Danny was still retarded from the moon flower's toxins. Wasn't his fault, but that didn't change the fact that he couldn't understand a word they said.

* * *

Sam sat on the couch, watching an episode of T.U.F.F Puppy. It starred Jerry Trainor as Dudley Puppy, the main character. Danny was taking a nap beside her, his body stretched out in what looked like a comfortable manner. His feet were facing her, and his arms were sprawled in both the east and west directions. It wasn't just him that looked comfy, _he_ looked comfy! Somehow, the way he slept reminded her of the first time he'd called her his dove. He'd slept with her every night since then, with his arms hugging her protectively. It reminded her of the safest feeling in the world.

"Besides Heaven, there is truly no safer place than in your arms," she whispered yearningly to him.

Making a somewhat bold decision, she crawled across the couch and hovered over his sleeping form. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep...

"KITTY! I _wuv_ her! You have to help me!" Dudley said through the television.

Her body hesitated even though her mind was made up. But, as the it often does, her mind overpowered her body and forced it to lay down on one of Danny's arms. Her hand reached behind her and latched onto Danny's before she pulled his other arm over her. Unbeknownst to the snoozing hybrid, Sam was snuggling into him. For some reason, he never woke up from her movements, but that might've also been a side effect of the poisons.

It wasn't long before Jazz came in to find Sam sleeping in the arms of her little brother. She smiled and readied her phone, which just happened to be turned on and in her hand, and took a picture. Her phone didn't produce a sound or flash, so the couple wasn't disturbed. The teen, who still thought she was an adult, tip-toed out of the living room, still smiling.

* * *

Sam woke up to Danny waking up. He wasn't exactly trying to get her off him, but he was...what _was_ he doing? She turned over to find him sniffing her hair. Awkward... But he almost instantly got confused by the way she was acting. He didn't remember falling asleep with her in his arms, so it became obvious that she'd sneaked into his safety. The babbling began...

"B-But my toes! They're gonna come for my toes! NOOOO! NOOOO! NOOOO! NOT MY TOES! NEVER MY TOES!" he screeched.

Sam covered her ears at hearing the loud sounds so close to her. "Danny! Your toes are fine!" she yelled.

But he paid no heed, and continued to holler about various 'missing' things. Eventually, it got so bad he got up off the couch, throwing Sam off in the process, and began to run incessantly up and down the stairs, still screaming.

Sam hit the carpet with a thump and angrily got up. It was no surprise to see Danny at his worst, but she'd been putting up with this for too long. She stormed out of the house, yelling to anyone who was listening, "I'm going for a walk! I'll be back in a little while!" She knew no one would ask questions. Ever since Danny had gotten like this, family members took turns getting out of the house. The remaining members stayed to look after Danny, in case there was a moment when he got like this. It was nothing against Danny, it was just how they dealt with his outbursts.

She closed the door behind her. The Fentons had accepted her into their family with open arms. Whether it was from pity or the need to help others, she didn't know. But she was grateful that they put up with her and her pregnant hormones. Most people wouldn't do such a thing, but they were, and had always been, different. They went so far as to buy her Goth-style maternity clothes, which she was going to need to wear soon. She estimated it would be about another month or so before she would have to wear the 'pregnant PJs', as she called them. She knew they'd likely hang off her body because she was too small for them to fit perfectly. But the Fentons had done the best they could, and so she appreciated it nonetheless.

Sam hardly realized she'd walked to her house. Slowly, she gazed up at the large building that used to be her home. She once had a loving family here, but now all it was was a place of empty dreams. Here was the place where she was born and raised all her life. The place where she met Danny, who introduced her to Tucker. And the place where her grandmother had died.

A hand involuntarily reached out to touch the vines that still grew upward to her window, the vines that she used to sneak out. She didn't try to stop the fresh tears that were rolling down her cheeks. She wanted to go back inside and see her family again. But she wasn't allowed back in the mansion.

"Why'd I come here?" she asked her feet, which had taken her here through force of habit. Even after three weeks, the wound was still deep. Danny had been an excellent distraction, but it was like a drug; it would keep her from thinking of her past while it was in effect, but once it wore off, the pain only got worse. And worse. And worse. And worse...

Suddenly she realized she wasn't breathing, and gulped in precious air. Her voice was shaky asked asked herself the question she'd been asking ever since the first rape incident, "Why me?" And suddenly she wanted to cuddle in Danny's arms, to feel the safety of his heart beating and his whole body wrapped around her like a shield. But he wasn't here...

She pressed her head against the building and peered to her side. She started to cry even harder than before when a glint on the sidewalk caught her eye. From natural human curiosity, she made her way over to the pavement to inspect whatever it was she'd seen. Turns out, it was a switchblade. A little-ish one, but still a switchblade. She picked it up to inspect it further, popping out the knife in doing so.

The little trinket looked vaguely familiar, as if she'd seen it somewhere before. And then it hit her. The man had used this knife before to attempt a murder, _her_ murder. He probably dropped it when Danny came in to save her. She guessed he had been unable to find it, and had given up, leaving it here. This would've made a great self-defense weapon, but she never really thought of using it like that.

She'd heard or read somewhere, in someone else's opinion, that cutting yourself could give you clarity and take away all your problems. Well, she _happened_ to have a cutting utensil right in her hand... And she _did _want all her problems to vanish...

Quickly telling herself that it was only once, and just to test it out, she positioned her arm face-up and held the blade at just three centimeters away.

"Like ripping off a band-aid..." she murmured.

She pressed the blade into her arm and quickly pulled it over the flesh, allowing a clean cut. The pain it inflicted diverted her mind from the pain that had built up over time. She was here, now. And for once everything seemed clear, vivid. She loved it immediately. Hated the pain, but loved the fact that she was thinking without images of unwanted things popping into her head.

She let out a sigh and smiled for the first time in too long a time. She'd just found another distraction.

After a few minutes, the blood stopped flowing and the pain started fading away. She looked down and grew worried. If the physical pain went away, the mental pain would come back. And the mental pain was far worse than any physical pain.

She groaned in pleasure as the blade created another cut, this time deeper. She didn't want to go too deep, however. Just deep enough so that the first cut could heal before the pain went away. And if anyone asked, she cut her arm on a barbed-wire fence by accident.

She watched as blood dripped off her arm and onto the sidewalk. It carried with it all her problems. Funny; a day before she'd never have thought of cutting herself to solve problems. But that was because she didn't know just how down-to-Earth it could make you feel. It made her feel alert and aware, something that she hadn't been able to really accomplish since the first rape. This little knife gave her liberation from all those horrible things. So who cared if she got just two little cuts? It wasn't a big deal; they'd heal with a little bit of time. Besides, it was just two cuts; it wasn't like she'd be unable to control herself. That was what drugs did, cutting was simply...cutting. Nothing more than creating an injury that you knew would heal.

Her conscience told her it was wrong, that she should stop now before the cutting didn't satiate her and she turned to something worse. But Sam completely ignored it. The focus offered by this little blade was simply too good to pass up. It'd take alot more than a bad feeling to change her mind.

The vegetarian got up, wiped her arm on her black shirt, and headed back towards the Fenton's house.

* * *

Silently, she crept upstairs and into Danny's bedroom. Then the goth began searching for a place to hide her new switchblade. It had her blood stained on it, a dead giveaway of her actions if anyone found it. Yes, she'd tried to wipe off the blood, but some of it had dried on the knife and stained it. Too late to wipe off anything by then.

After finally deciding that the blade would be secluded in a shoebox in Danny's closet, Sam went back downstairs to pretend nothing had happened.

And much to her surprise, Danny was sweating like nobody's business. She shrugged it off as nothing and assumed he'd been running up and down the stairs too long. It had happened once before.

"Dove!" he greeted her. She had felt as though she didn't need to hide her arm from him and therefore had left it exposed. But when he saw it, his whole face seemed to drop. He held it up and tenderly felt the cuts, one of which still hadn't fully clotted yet. He got a little bit of her blood on his fingers. The hybrid, not knowing what else to do, licked it off his fingers and continued examining her arm.

Sam watched sadly as he did this. He seemed to know what she had done to herself, which was actually rare. Even though she knew he couldn't understand anything she said, she still wanted to tell him she was sorry. "Danny, I'm sorry. It won't happen again; just a one-time thing, a test." She was lying. She'd undoubtedly do it again, knowing that if she stayed secretive about it, she could keep this concealed. And no one would have to know.

"Dove..." he whispered, pain evident in his voice.

It only added to the guilt to hear this from him. She didn't know what to say. She gulped and waiting for him to do something, preferably go away. But instead, he only started to cry. Whining sounds escaped, as if to add the extra guilt. "Dove..." he mumbled, still holding her arm. It was as if he was asking why she did it.

"Danny, it's okay. I promise, this isn't gonna get out of control. Okay?" she said. Her hand cupped his face and he leaned into it. She wanted to pull back because of all the sweat he was producing, but didn't have it in her.

And then...then Danny collapsed.

**A/N**

**Yeah... Uh, pretty emo in this chapter, but I needed to give Sam another distraction from the rape. This was the only one I could come up with. Also, bet you're wondering what's happening to Danny. Well, guess what? I'm not telling ya! But seriously, it'll be revealed in the next chapter or the one after that. I hate cliffies, yes I do! I hate cliffies, how 'bout you? lolz!**

**Also about this chapter, originally, Tucker was going to find out and Danny wouldn't because of the flower's poisons. But I decided that even while intoxicated, Danny would find out. And ALSO also, I made up my mind about having a sequel to this story. There WILL be a sequel! But I have no clue what it'll be called yet.**

**And a warning: YES, CUTTING PROVIDES TEMPORARY CLARITY! BUT NO, IT IS NOT IN ANY WAY A SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEMS, NOR WILL IT TAKE THEM AWAY! DON'T TRY CUTTING YOURSELVES!**

**Ah-hem... Now that that's cleared up, the new quota will be...*drumrolls* ...two hundred and twenty-one (221) reviews. Gosh, hope that's not too much...**

**And now your review replies:**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-New ring tones are nice. And Sailor Moon, right? Which one is it? Is it that Star Locket ring tone? Man, I love that tune! Well, my story is about an organic war weapon, basically. You'll find out. Eventually. If this story doesn't work out, then I'll post on fanfiction, okay?**

**_hunnybunny276198_-XD Little people? You guys (and J. K. Rowling) are the ones who inspired me to write it! If I ever get an interview, I'll be sure to mention you guys! ^.^**

**_Rosealyn 'Flinx' Roth_-Why? Crazy Danny is enjoyable, right? Of course, this chapter was made to be more realistic and serious (not to mention darker) to please those that are kinda getting tired of all this craziness.**

**_aras the crazy writer_-Thanks! And double thanks! Every time someone buys my book, I get some of the money. So maybe, just maybe, I'll be the next J. K. Rowling! lolz! It's just a dream now, but it may come true. It did for Ms. Rowling.**

**_Codiak_-Thanks, lolz! XD Yeah, both are hard to resist for me! Can you believe I'm not even out of high school yet? If I can start my career as an author I might just be the youngest author in America! lolz, I mean not on fanfiction. Hope you find a job that doesn't feel like working! ^.^ Best of luck to ya!**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-He does that on a normal basis.**

**_lpwriter4life_-I thought you might! Well, I hoped you might.**

**_JuneLuxray2_-Yes, more. *flops over with you***

**_KP100_-O.o How can you understand that? I wrote it and I didn't understand! What will your book be called? And furthermore, what's it about? Good luck with that! I now understand just how hard writing a book is! It's not like updating on fanfiction...**

**_The Silver Radio_-lolz Thanks. It is, actually, EXTREMELY hard to find stories that mix fantasy and reality. I pride myself in this story and I think that's why it's such a huge hit; is because I managed to properly let fantasy and reality flow side by side, undivided.I know how ya feel! lolz, I once cracked up over this one line on a fanfic called Temptation that said, "Dinner time, veggie girl." XD Idk why I cracked up but I did! It's about an organic war weapon named Bestia, which is Latin for beast.**

**_TitansGirl-OtherStuff a big fan of logging in am i_-God, Kris! Longest username I've ever seen in my life! QUIT CALLING ME MICKEY! I HATE THAT NAME SO MUCH! I forgot your e-mail...again. Sorry... Give it to me and I'll see about the first chapter. Or, if you want, I can wait until I'm done with the whole book and mail you a copy of the manuscript. So it's like getting the original, unedited copy without having to buy it. How's that sound? OMG! You used a Japanese word! I'm so proud of you! Yes, Danny is kawaii, isn't he? But I think he's sweet overall. Nah, that dove thing is gonna stick around awhile. lolz Bye! Text ya later, if I can. Life of an author is busier than I anticipated...**

**_JazzedVanilla_-Yeah, I am. What, a schoolgirl can't write a good story every now and then? lolz, jk, jk. Well, ya found out. It's dark, scarily true, happens more than expected, and its emo. Such is life of Sam. Yeah, I swear I'm trying to fix it, but it's hard 'cause of what happened; I don't know how else to make her react.**

**_Kpfan72491_-lolz, yes, yes it does!**

**_lilyt789_-Yeah, that was one of mine, too. But that quote didn't come from me, someone else thought up of it. And that someone would be Looka'sMagicHell. They gave me permission to use that line. Thanks, I'll need all the luck I can get!**

**_ParadiseAvenger_-*sighs* I kinda explained that, you know. Besides, there's only one way to get pregnant. Not gonna mention it 'cause it's rated T and not M, but you get the point. What do you think her screaming was for? And in chapter two, it better explains what happened from Sam's POV. I'm sorry and don't mean to be rude, but after reading that, how is there any confusion?**

**_Inventor of ZADRF_-Thanks! Um, I don't really know... There's schoolwork to take into account, and then my social life, and other stuff like chores and my dogs. I don't have a ton of free time to work on both fanfiction and Bestia. It's about an organic war weapon named Bestia, which is Latin for beast. Here's a quote directly from the story, "I am a creature of legend and lore. I do not exist..." Don't that peak your interest! lolz!**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Idk, I just feel bad for both of them. But now I feel more for Sam than Danny... I'll try, but no guarantees. Remember, I have a book to work on, AND schoolwork.**


	17. Chapter 17

~Chapter 17~

The door to the Fenton household flew open as Tucker charged in, pushing past Jazz and Sam. His first question was, "What happened to Danny?"

"I don't know. I walked in and Sam was leaning over Danny, trying to wake him up," Jazz answered.

"He just doubled over without any warning!" The goth was careful to hide her wounded arm from her friend's sight. If he found out, he'd make her go to...a therapist or something.

Tucker took notice of how much he was sweating; either he'd been running up and down the stairs too long again, or this had some connection with his collapse. Danny was currently unconscious, and stayed that way as they moved him over to the couch in the living room. If he kept perspiring the way he was, he'd have the sofa drenched in no time. The geek took into account his breathing. It was harsh, labored, and ragged. His eyes were shut tightly, and he had clenched his teeth at some point. An occasional strained grunt could be heard every now and then.

"Tucker, what's wrong with him?" asked Sam.

The techno-geek shrugged and told Jazz to fetch him a cold damp washcloth. He kept his hand on his friend's head, as if feeling his temperature, until she left. Afterward, he took his hand off wiped it on his shirt. He began explaining to a very concerned Sam what he thought was going on. "It's been about three or four weeks since the flower incident. You remember what I told you, right?"

The vegan shook her head. After everything that had happened in the past few weeks, she didn't remember everything said to her in that one day.

"Well, I told you the poison would work its way out of his system. I think that's what happening. He's sweating out the poison. But I think it's painful for him; that's probably why he's like this," he added.

She nodded slowly just as Jazz came back with the wet rag. She handed it to Tucker, who folded it and put it over Danny's head. "Don't worry," he told her, "Danny's fine."

"How do you know?" she inquired.

Sam intervened and answered her on Tucker's behalf. "Alright, we didn't tell you this for...certain reasons..." She paused for a bit before continuing, recalling how she knew about moon flowers in the first place. Hopefully Jazz wouldn't ask about that. "...but Danny ate a poisonous flower, and since he's half ghost, he went crazy. Full ghosts would've been killed, or so Tucker says. That's why he was acting so weird and saying strange things. And now he's working it out of his system."

"So this is all because of his ghost powers? Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped," she said.

This time, Tucker stepped back in, giving Sam a break. "Well, because there were just certain factors that we thought might scare you," he lied, "Like for instance, he ate so many flowers that at first I thought he was gonna die from the poison. But he ate just enough to go nuts. _Literally_."

Understanding, Jazz nodded. "Well, isn't there anything we can do to help him?"

"I would do more if I knew more about the flower's poison. But I have limited knowledge in that area. All I know is that it works like a catnip for ghosts, and can kill them if they eat one. But since Danny's a human as well as ghost, it affects him differently. But it also enables his body to get rid of the poison. In this case, he's sweating it all out. He should be better by midnight, if I'm right," he explained.

Jazz nodded again and said, "Oh, okay. Well, if he can help himself, I guess the poison wasn't that bad in the first place."

"Nope! Nothing to worry about, especially since we know now to stay away from those flowers," Tucker pointed out.

Jazz got up and walked into the kitchen to heat some leftovers. She understood why they didn't want her to be afraid, but she was Danny's older sister; she deserved to know! It would've saved her from alot of confusion, that's for sure... And from her dad's constant rambling about the stresses of school and how badly it could affect a young boy's mind nowadays. She shoved a bowl of leftover broccoli in the microwave for Sam.

Back in the living room, no one was worried about Danny anymore. They knew what was going on, what was happening to him. It was actually a good thing; they were more relieved than anything. Tucker was slumped on the couch watching a Sci-Fy movie while Sam had slipped away from the crowd to hide in Danny's bedroom. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was doing up there.

As the blade moved slowly over her skin, she sighed a satisfied sigh. She loved how this whole cutting business made her feel. She never wanted the pain to end, never wanted it to stop or go away. It made her feel like she could actually handle life again. Like she could actually get a _grip_ on life again. The only downside, in her eyes, was shortness of it. It was a very momentary feeling that never lasted long enough. Even though her conscience kept gnawing at her insides, telling her it was self-harm and thus wrong to do, she ignored it. She craved more pain.

But she promised to herself that this wouldn't get out of control. She wasn't going to become like those other teens who literally butchered their wrists and arms. No, she would handle herself better than that. Never would she stoop to their level. Besides, what harm would just three cuts do to her?

Her conscience bravely answered this question for her. It nagged at her again, this time saying it was only a matter of time before she cut herself too deep. But she countered it by telling herself that she wouldn't let that happen.

Plus, she wasn't cutting just for the clarity and alertness, she was cutting because she was depressed and angry, and didn't know what else to do; didn't know how to cope with it. Since this method temporarily took her pain away, she stuck with what worked. In this case, it was self-injuring. Again, she told herself that once the emotional pain was gone for good, she wouldn't need the knife, and she'd just throw it out. In the meantime, she would need some explanations to cover up her wounds and some long-sleeve shirts to hide them.

Her conscience told her she could die.

She told her conscience to shut up.

A knock on the door, along with a feminine voice, told her lunch was ready. She claimed she'd be down in a minute and quickly pulled off her shirt to put on a long-sleeved one. The switchblade was washed off with hot water and put back in the shoebox. The great thing about that box was that it had two new and unused shoes in it, so the knife was hidden within its hiding place. Her arm was also washed and dried. There was still a small flow of blood, but the black long-sleeve shirt would soak it up without attracting any attention.

"Hey, why'd you change clothes?" Jazz asked the vegetarian when she came down to eat.

"Oh, no reason. Just wanted a change of clothes, is all. Besides, this shirt is warmer than the one I was wearing. It'll be good for the season," she fibbed.

Jazz took a bite of her turkey sandwich and swallowed before asking how the baby was doing. Sam answered for the unborn child, telling its 'aunt' that it was fine. Their conversation went on casually and a few jokes were made. None that made the goth laugh, of course, but they were still made and still lightened the mood. Even more, Jazz was completely unsuspecting of her self-inflicted injuries.

Another strained grunt was heard from inside the living room, from Danny. He was still passed out on the couch and it didn't look like he was going to rouse anytime soon. It was perfect; he probably wouldn't remember what he'd seen and she could continue to deal with her past however she wanted. Nobody would know; nobody would stop her. It would be the free life from here on out, so long as she kept the cutting thing a secret. And that shouldn't be too hard to do, given how ignorant Danny's family seemed to be. Only ones she needed to worry about were Danny and Jazz. Tucker lived somewhere else, and the parents weren't very attentive to things that didn't involve ghost-hunting. Not to say that if she went up to them and told them they wouldn't freak out, but if no one ever told them, they'd never find out.

But Danny and Jazz both lived here. And Danny especially was extremely attentive when it came to her. She would have to go to extreme lengths to hide this from him. Like cutting in spots that weren't very noticeable or could be covered easily. If either found out, she'd be sent to a mental ward or something. Or worse than any hospital...Jazz. Sam would never be able to endure one of her horrendously long psych talks. And if Jazz found out, that's just what she'd give her. Thing would be different if Danny found out. She didn't know exactly what would happen, but she knew things would be different.

She sighed and finished up the last of her broccoli just as Tucker finished his chicken leg. "For a couple of ghost-hunters, your parents make pretty good chicken," he complimented.

Sam went over to the living room to check on Danny as Tucker was busy pestering Jazz for another piece of meat. He was still unconscious, and it looked more like his pain had grown. But then again, that could just be her imagination. In her mind, he was lucky to feel that constant pain. She wished she could feel the same, have her mind distracted from a neverending nightmare. But even she knew she shouldn't cut that much. Then she really might start to go too deep, and she'd prove her conscience right after all.

It was very clear to her that if she was going to beat this thing, she needed the switchblade.

* * *

Danny woke up to darkness. The spot he was laying in was soaked with sweat, him even more so. He was just barely able to feel the remnants of the pain from when his body was purging itself of the poison. Sleeping on the floor beside him was Sam, who had apparently refused to leave his side until he woke up. The very thought of this was more than enough to make him smile. But a thought took that smile away immediately. This was Sam. _His_ Sam. And she'd been doing horrible things to herself while he was intoxicated.

The feeling of movement underneath her woke the goth up. "What time is it...?" she murmured, only half-awake. By the time the moments stopped, she realized someone had carried her somewhere.

The lights flickered on and Danny shut the door so the light from his room wouldn't disturb any other family members, namely Jazz. He turned to look at her and remained silent for what seemed like the longest time, as if he was trying to find the right words to start out with.

It was then that she noticed she'd been standing. From what she'd seen and felt, Danny had carried her upstairs to his his room, with every intention of waking her. She had no idea what this was about, but from the way he was acting it couldn't be good.

"You feeling better?" she asked nervously, hoping to evade whatever he wanted to talk to her about.

He nodded and continued to think for a little bit longer. Finally, he said, "You know how I know I was acting weird, Sam?" He didn't wait for an answer. "It's because I remember it."

The vegan's face paled. Surely this wasn't what she thought it was! Was she dreaming? No, her nightmares had always been about...the thing she didn't want to think of. "W-Well, that's good." She played coy and innocent, as though she had nothing to hide. What, Sam? Nah, she's perfectly innocent; she doesn't even know what cutting is!

"I'm pretty sure you know where this is going. Now, I can't remember every single thing I saw or did..." The goth sighed heavily in pure relief at this comment, but held her breath when he continued. "...but I remember enough to know that you've been doing things." The way he'd said 'things' really made her nervous. If this was about what she thought it was, why didn't he just get to the point? Get it over with already! Let her cry it out, say she's sorry, and get back to cutting herself.

"What kinds of things?" she asked, sure he was talking about her arm.

"Sam..." he sighed. The halfa took a deep breath and tried to find the best way to say whatever it was he was going to say next. After a total of five long and eventless minutes, he asked, "Why would you do it, Sam?"

"Do what?"

Her remark seemed to anger him and he made a slitting motion with one hand over his wrist.

"Okay, Danny...calm down. I know it looks like it's a bad thing, but-"

"But WHAT, Sam? You're deliberately hurting yourself! You know you can actually _die_ from doing that, right? Go too deep, hit an artery, and it's all over with," he interrupted.

"Look, I'm not going to get out of control with this. It's not like I'm addicted to it or anything," she said. It wasn't a total lie; she wasn't cutting herself nearly enough for her to think she was addicted to it.

"This stuff works like a drug, Sam. It _becomes_ addicting over time," he countered.

"It's only three! Besides, it's not like a _superhero_ with all his _superpowers_ would understand anything about why I'm doing this!" she spat.

The halfa's face suddenly softened. In plenty of ways, she was right. But cutting wasn't the solution.

Sam's eyes brimmed with tears and she turned around to pinch her arm, enjoying the sharp pain it brought.

Danny came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I know you're hurt. And I know you're scared, Sam," he said gently, "But does this seem right to you? Do you really want to do this to yourself?"

The goth turned to accept his embrace. She buried herself in his shirt and sobbed, "It's the only thing that works..."

He didn't know what to say for comfort, so he just let her keep crying into him and released a string of hushes to at least try to calm her down. The scene made him remember when he'd found out about the first rape. And at that thought, he couldn't really blame her for wanting to try _something _to make the pain go away. After all, the poor girl had been raped, impregnated, almost killed, raped again, and kicked out of her own home. And as if that wasn't enough, she was the slut and laughingstock of the entire school.

"It makes me forget about what happened for a few minutes..." she continued. "It makes me feel good..."

"How'd you cut yourself?" he asked, still mindful of her emotions toward the subject.

"I took a knife and...I just did it."

"And where is this knife?"

Time to lie again. "It's in the dishwasher. I rinsed it off so there wouldn't be any blood." She pulled her head out of his chest. "Don't take it, Danny... It feels so good, the pain."

"I want you to feel good, Sam. It's just...this isn't a good solution. You could punch a pillow, or scream..."

She shook her head. "Those things don't compare. It seemed wrong at first, but then I tried it. It's not as bad as everyone says it is; it makes you feel really good and it takes your mind off all the bad stuff. For the first time since 'the incident', I felt like I could live my life."

Truth: Danny wanted her to feel as good as good could be. Fact: In order for that to happen, he would have to let her do whatever she wanted, even if that something meant cutting.

"I promise, I'm not gonna turn into those guys who...you know, cut themselves all the time. A cutter."

Sounded to him like she was _already_ addicted to the pain. He didn't want to tell anyone because he wanted her to figure this out on her own, but at the same time he didn't want her to keep damaging herself. And honestly, he didn't think he'd be able to watch her do it. She was his best friend since second grade. And her life, even though he thought she was getting better, was going downhill.

"I _need_ you to promise you won't tell anyone. I swear, I'll keep it under control!" she pleaded.

Knowing deep down that he was going to regret this decision, he sighed heavily and said, "Only as long as you don't get out of control."

**A/N**

**Yeah, I know it's dark and stuff, but... Well, I have no excuses. Except I did kinda need an outlet for Sam's feelings. So she kinda took it out on herself. Yeah... I dunno, I guess I don't have that much else to say. OH WAIT! The reason Danny agreed not to tell anyone was because this happens alot in real life, and I wanted that scene to be realistic. So, yeah. Okay then. Moving on...**

**The sequel, I've decided, will be called 'Flowers Will Die'. I'll let you wonder whether or not there's a character death in it or not.**

**New quota will be...um...idk so I'll just pull out a random number. Two hundred and thirty-two (232) reviews.**

**Now to answer all your generous reviews:**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-You should probably feel more sorry for Sam. After all, she's going through WAY more than most girls ever have to go through. (actually, I don't know of one girl who's ever gone through this)**

**_RainingHeart4Ever_-lolz, ikr? But it was supposed to contribute to this chapter so the ending of this chappie would be tension-filled. But I'll give you a heads-up: later on Danny's gonna actually SEE Sam cut herself. Won't tell what happens next, though.**

**_aras the crazy writer_-Xd Well then I say go for it!**

**_Codiak_-XD Yeah. Those lines actually took me a couple of minutes to write cuz I was so busy laughing at them!**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-lolz One word: FUNNY. Yes, I know, but there's a reason why I put that in the story. It's more symbolic than anything, showing how bad her depression and anger have grown. Yeah, cuz he knew what she'd done. And remember, he still loves her so... guessed correctly!**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Thanks, it was supposed to be. Yeah, I almost cried when I was writing that scene. In fact, I almost left that scene out altogether, but then I figured, 'Ya know what? I've already written out the darn thing.' so I put it in anyway. It also shows that the real Danny is still in there.**

**_Samara_-Well, think about it. She's pregnant, so she's got these pregnant hormones that intensify her feelings. And with each passing day she only gets more depressed, scared, confused, and angry about what happened to her. Unable to come up with any other solution, she tried cutting her arm and it distracted her from all that pain. Thus, she kept doing it, and thus, she grew to like even the painful part of it. Much like a drug, actually. Very addicting when you're so deep in that fragile, emotional state and don't know what to do with all these emotions you're feeling. Think about it that way and it makes perfect sense. Well, actually, Danny remembers bits and pieces of it, but not all of it. What kind of 'effects' are you referring to? She not harming the child, just herself. Also, as a friend, there's not much Danny can do.**

**_Kpfan72491_-Yep, dontcha just HATE THE LIVING SNOT OUT of cliffies? lolz! Random, I know. Well, I'm only gonna do the sequel once I'm done with this story, so just sit back and enjoy the ride.**

**_Kagome51_-He fainted. lolz, but seriously, he's just detoxing. Nothing more.**

**_lpwriter4life_-If you'll pay close attention to Sam in this chapter, she says those things just don't compare to cutting. Uh...but don't emos cut themselves? Oh, no doubt.**

**_fishy9494_-Darn it! Get outta my head! lolz Seriously, how'd you know that? You're like, the first person to figure it out!**

**_The Silver Radio_-I agree; it was short, but definitely powerful. XD Ikr? She refused to talk to anyone because she doesn't want to talk about what happened in her past. But believe me, her cutting scenes play HUGE roles in the story. You'll know what I'm talking about later on.**

**_hunnybunny276198_-Very true... lolz! I'm not gonna tell what's to come! And don't try guessing, 'cause there's gonna be several twists in this story, or at least I hope so.**

**_TitansGirl-OtherStuff who still doesn't want to log inP oh yeah and also the one with the goal for an even longer anonymous reviewer name than last time just so that you'll see there is no limit to my insanity though you probably already knew that. Wow th_-OMG Kris, seriously? You expect me to update right away when I have to write that incredibly long username? Just sign in already, geez... Gimme a break. Oh, and it didn't show your e-mail. Fanfiction won't allow you to show other sites on it. Idk why... Just text it to me. And I HAVE put off Bestia for this story...for now.**

**_KP100_-I'm sure you don't but I don't want to insinuate anything with this story. Cool! Good luck! ^.^**


	18. Chapter 18

~Chapter 18~

Danny couldn't go back to sleep. Sam, on the other hand, was snoozing away as happy as ever. He knew he'd made the wrong decision, but he wanted to make her happy and let her figure it out. And maybe he could talk her out of it over time. He remembered what she'd done right before she went to bed. She'd put her arms around his neck, smiled gratefully, and thanked him and said he was a good friend. He wasn't a good friend, or at least he didn't feel like one. How could he have been so stupid? And all just because she was crying, too! He promised not to tell anyone so long as she didn't get out of control with the cutting. But seeing as how she loved it, it was only a matter of time!

"You're such an idiot, O great superhero..." he muttered angrily to himself. No, he would never be able to feel the pain she felt. No, he would never be able to fully understand how she felt. But resorting to cutting? Perhaps she didn't know how to handle it in a healthy way, or maybe she just wanted to exert control over her body. Either way, with just three cuts to do the trick, she must've been feeling pretty darn depressed.

And what kind of a friend was he if he couldn't see how much Sam had deteriorated over such a short period of time?

The thought of her hurting brought tears to his eyes. The thought of her hurting herself pushed the tears out. Why'd she do it? Had she really felt so bad she needed physical pain to blunt the mental pain? True, he knew she had been feeling down, but how could he not have picked up on how bad she'd gotten? And furthermore, he couldn't help but wonder, just how deep did this pain get to her? For the millionth time that night, he blamed himself for everything that had happened.

Eventually, thoughts similar to these consumed him, and he ended up crying himself to sleep.

* * *

A deep, guttural groan woke him just barely enough to try to listen in on the producer of the groan. It didn't come again, so the halfbreed focused on getting back to sleep. After all, last night had been a long and painful night. Probably the worst night of his entire life. Well, no, that couldn't be true... The night he'd found Sam in the dark alley; that was the worst night of his entire life. He'd much rather have exposed his secret and killed himself than let such a thing happen to her.

The sound of something dripping brought him back to reality. It was his turn to groan. "Turn off the sink..."

There was a quick silence and then some rustling and incomprehensible murmuring.

Sam hurried to stash her wooden-handled, blood-stained switchblade in Danny's untouched shoebox, inside one of the two black formal shoes that already occupied it. Well, untouched would be a lie. The shoes _had_ been touched; Danny had worn them to prom. And he'd never worn them since. That was likely why he'd stuffed them in a shoebox, so his mom wouldn't make him wear them ever again. This made the shoes the perfect hiding place.

The goth had gotten done hiding it just in time; Danny was just getting up. She scurried to the other side of the room to hide the fact that she'd even been near the shoebox. If Danny ever saw her cutting herself or found out about her hiding a switchblade in his room, he might change his mind about keeping her 'problem' a secret.

With an annoyed moan, the halfa got up and trudged toward his bathroom to get ready. But he stopped halfway there. There were five dark red splotches on his hardwood floor. A wry glance was cast Sam's way.

"Hey, don't look at me! You ate paint when you were high on pollen; that's probably what it is," she retorted.

He went over to further inspect it, and found that it was still wet. If this was paint, it was fresh. And any kind of paint would have dried over the time he'd been unconscious. "Sam, you can talk to me, you know."

The vegetarian looked down for a second. "I kept it under control, like I promised." She found herself unable to look Danny in the eye, so she kept looking down. She knew the reason she'd been cutting. It was those aweful nightmares that plagued her every night. She couldn't get rid of them, no matter how hard she tried. But the cutting helped take away the pain. Made her briefly forget, and she liked being able to forget, even if it was only for a little while.

He sighed. It would take awhile before he could talk her out of it. But he could start trying now. "Sam, is there anything you wanna talk about?"

The goth shook her head. She didn't want to talk about anything he was referring to.

"That's okay. You can tell me about it when you're ready," he said softly.

He was referring to the pain, she knew, but right now wasn't the best time. She would crack under all those emotions that she'd held in being suddenly released. Who's to say she wouldn't kill herself from the stress? And here Danny thought _cutting_ was bad... Talking, she knew, would be even worse.

* * *

The days continued on as such. She would cut herself in the morning, sometime during lunch hours, and excuse herself to 'use the bathroom' whenever the unbearable feelings were getting to her. Danny would ask her to talk about it, and each time she refused without giving him any hint of progress. That was because she hadn't made any. She still cut herself, more and more each time, and she was growing extremely addicted to the wonderful pain and the sight of blood trickling down her arm. At some point, she had started on her wrists because she had discovered that the wrist was more sensitive than the arm. The pain was twice as good. Every day she wore black long-sleeve shirts and longer skirts, giving Danny the implication she'd been cutting lower at times. But she still refused to admit he was right, that she really was addicted to it.

And every day she cried. Cried out her pain and frustration, but always went back to cutting because the pain never went away. She kept telling herself that it was the only thing that worked. But in reality it wasn't working at all; the pain still came back, no matter what she did. The nightmares still haunted her night after night, and they never went away, either. So she would pull out a razor blade or, more to her preference, her trusty switchblade, and retreat into the bathroom to slice her skin, whichever part of it wasn't cut up yet. She'd cut for her pain, her nightmares, and everything else that went wrong.

And every day Danny grew more and more worried for his friend's health. She had supposedly kept it under control, and supposedly she hadn't cut too many times in one day. But he'd caught sight of the scars from time to time. They were increasing in number, depth, and length. They varied from pricks to cuts to full-scale assaults. The blood that she drew with each new cut was more and more. He knew this by how much blood was left on the floor or sink after she was done, although most of the time she'd remember to clean it up.

He didn't want to betray her trust. He didn't want to make her hate him. He wanted to talk her out of it. But she wouldn't talk or open up to him. And it wasn't just him, it was anyone. Several people at school, namely the staff, had taken notice of her depression and had asked her if everything was okay. She'd said she was fine. The students were what worried him the most, though. They'd recently found new ways to torture her. Poor Sam would get to her locker only to find a note taped to it. It always said things like, "Even your Eggo is preggo" or, "Be my slut for the night, will ya?" or, "Daddy dumped you yet?" Yes, they still thought he was the dad, and he intended to keep it that way for Sam's sake.

He was just scared that if anything else happened she would start trying to end her own life.

She promised him she wasn't going to lose control.

She lied.

* * *

The goth walked up to her locker and peeled off the note that always had a way of coming back to her, like a stray cat that you kept feeding. Just for the heck of it, and just to have an excuse for cutting herself, she read it. "How's the baby? Is it goth?" it said. She crumpled it up and threw it into a nearby trash can that was filled with these notes every day. Thankfully, no one had confronted her about them. And thankfully, no one had found out about her cutting.

She went into the nearest bathroom, waited for the two other girls that were in there to get out, and pulled out the razor blade she always carried in her purse. Oh, the sweet relief just _seeing_ it gave her! She dragged it across her skin. However, not finding the pain agonizing enough, she pressed it further into her skin and retraced the open wound. It felt really good. The down-to-Earth feeling came back to her. She could focus on things other than school and her past once again. She decided to do it again so the pain would last longer. She positioned her razor blade and re-retraced the wound.

Even more blood spilled, flowing freely down her wrist with each new slice she made. She'd long ago become a cutter, but she would never admit it, even to herself. She liked being a cutter. And in her mind, it was okay. It felt good to her. Even more so now that her conscience had given in and stopped trying to warn her. It, too, now took great pleasure in seeing blood and feeling pain.

She didn't worry about the blood on the restroom floors. From time to time, a menstrual cycle would catch a girl off guard, and blood droplets fell on the floors. On top of that, she wasn't reaching behind a toilet that could've been used by Paulina just to clean up a little blood. That was the janitor's job.

She didn't realize it, but she had completely lost her former personality. She used to be all about being an individual and stating opinions and freedom of speech. She wasn't for any of that now. She didn't care. Yes, she was still a vegan. But everything she stood for was lost to her. It wasn't even from the cutting; her depression had deepened just that much. Now, she was never happy. Never kind, sweet, or caring. She was also carefree in the fact that she didn't want to have anything to do with responsibility. She was no longer Sam, she was an entirely different person.

The bell rang, signaling lunch time. This was the only time of day she actually talked to her friends. Tucker and Sam were growing apart; the remainder of what they had just barely passed as acquaintanceship. Danny and her seemed to be growing apart, too, but not at the pace she and the techno-geek were. They were growing apart because she was constantly hiding from him, trying to cut herself in secrecy. She'd never open up to him; heck, she hardly ever really talked to him anymore. And Danny was the only one who knew why.

When she sat down, the rim of her shirt caught the corner of the table, and pulled it up a bit. Only Danny noticed the scars she'd put on herself. What he would give for it all to stop...

She quickly grabbed hold of her shirt and pulled it back down, stretching the cloth over her skin and slightly-enlarged belly. She was only about three and a half months along, and she still hadn't gone to any doctor's appointments. She kept promising that she'd go the next time. But whenever the next time came, she resisted, saying it wasn't the best time or she had other plans. She didn't have any prenatal care; she refused to take the pills because of their size. She hadn't even had her first ultrasound yet. Her weight was the only thing that seemed normal about her anymore.

"So, Sam," he said, looking at her with sad eyes, "I was wondering if you had any plans later."

She swallowed her cauliflower and said, "Yeah, I do."

Tucker was busy fidgeting with his PDA, which he seemed to get angry with alot lately. Something must've been horribly wrong with it, because he kept grumbling under his breath something about 'this piece of garbage' and 'knew I should've gotten the other one'.

Seeing as Sam wouldn't talk to him, he turned to the only other kid at school who would, the angry geek. "What about you Tuck? Any plans?"

"Nah, not really. Other than buy a new PDA. I think this one's broken," he replied.

"Ah. I think shopping's a good idea; Sam could really use some new clothes," the halfa said casually, casting a quick glance at the said character.

She shivered and knew goosebumps were on her arms and legs. Well, everywhere that wasn't scarred yet. She returned his glance and hissed, "You swore you wouldn't tell anyone!"

"No, Sam, I swore not to tell as long as you didn't go berserk. And you swore you wouldn't. But you did," he corrected.

The techno-geek looked up from his little device and asked, "Am I missing something?"

"You know what, Danny? Why don't you just go around announcing it to the whole school? I'm sure they'll _love_ to stick notes to my locker concerning _that_!" she continued, ignoring Tucker entirely.

"I've been trying to be the good guy, Sam! But this is for your own good!" he shouted back. "I only have your best interest at heart!"

"My best interest, huh?"

"Yes."

"Oh, really? Then why would you try to tell Tucker? Why do ask me to 'talk' about it all the time? You know it's just gonna hurt worse to remember all that, yet you do it anyway!"

Danny reluctantly stayed quiet. He knew that was the reason that got her started on this cutting stuff, was because she didn't want to remember. But it might not be long until she finally went too far in. He was only worried about her safety, nothing more.

"Tell me what? What does Tucker need to know?" the geek asked, confusion showing profusely.

"I only wanted to help you, Sam. I only wanted you to be happy," the halfa said, his voice just barely above a whisper. Those emotions she'd felt ever since the first rape had been eating her alive, and he hadn't seen it until she first started cutting herself. Just like everything else that had happened to her, he blamed himself.

"I don't need help; I'm fine!" The goth had insisted upon this every time, always saying she was fine, always saying there was nothing to worry about.

Sam got up and stormed back into the school building just as the bell rang, signaling lunch was over.

**A/N**

**Alright, first and foremost. I know some or all of you may be wondering how I know so much about cutting and how it makes you feel. I bet you're wondering if I do or used to cut myself. Well, the sad truth is...yes. There was once an incident in Gatlinburg; my dad was there with his girlfriend and her two boys. My dad's girlfriend said something to me. Let's just say it made me far beyond angry and upset. My dad didn't really defend me in any way. He actually agreed with her. Now, understand that I'm a big daddy's girl, and I love and respect my father very much. So him siding with her and not even trying to comfort me was indeed a cruel blow to me. Coupled with what his girlfriend said, it only added ten times as much to what I was already feeling. I usually don't cry, but that night I was crying like there was no tomorrow. And then I did what Sam did. It was the exact same thing as cutting, except I used my nails. I kept scratching at my arm, digging as hard as I could into my skin. Blood came, as did chunks of flesh, (my nails have always been long) but I liked how I was focusing on the pain rather than my dad. So I kept scratching and more blood came. Now I have a big scar on my wrist. Every day it reminds me of what I did and what happened the day I did it. But cutting is extremely addictive, especially if the first time is under severe stress. I know this because even to this day I bite really hard on the inside of my mouth and on my lips whenever I'm upset. So in a way, I still haven't gotten over that addiction. I hope you guys never try what I did, because I swear I never thought just one time would hurt me.**

**Also, just some facts: Alot of people think cutting is a cry for attention. It's not. Cutters actually go to great lengths to hide what they do instead of draw attention to it. Many people think cutters think about suicide and may have a death wish. Also not true. Cutters don't want to die, they just want relief from the pain they feel. Cutters often hide their scars because of the pain and guilt they feel after cutting themselves. Cutters often have a very hard time quitting cutting. Because the scars can be hidden through clothing, cutting can be very hard to detect. Most of the time, cutters cut because of some traumatic past event. If you make fun of a cutter for cutting or get angry or upset at them for it, it likely won't push them to stop; they'll most likely continue to cut themselves to take away the extra pain you've added on. Cutting is almost ALWAYS done out of depression.**

**Now, to story-related items. Danny didn't want Sam to dislike or hate him, and that's why he kept her cutting problem a secret. Sam doesn't recognize her addiction for the physical pain yet, and that's a reason she continues to cut. Sam still doesn't want anyone to know what happened to make her so depressed, and that's why she refuses to talk to anyone. The main reason Tucker and Sam grew apart was because of her dreary state; she was too depressing to be around. Tucker does know what happened to make her depressed, but DOESN'T know about her cutting problem, as Danny and Sam were fighting over. Sam isn't being stupid (take it from me), she's coping the only way she knows how, as she doesn't want to remember and therefore doesn't want to talk about anything.**

**Now, on to the reviews. New quota will be two hundred and forty-five (245) reviews.**

**And lastly, the review replies(if you still have any questions about the story, just ask):**

**_aras the crazy writer_-Yep, it was. But it's supposed to be dark. Yeah, she'd already gotten addicted (she even ignored Danny's 'works like a drug' warning) on her second or third cut.**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Yay! Normal Danny! Yeah, but her cutting scenes play huge roles in the storyline.**

**_Codiak_-lolz, Thanks! Never had someone say that to me before! ^.^**

**_lpwriter4life_-Cutting happens more than you know. T.T I'm not branding anyone with a label. She's not being stupid, she's just coping the only way she knows how. Just like I did with my dad... Yep, Danny's good. And worried.**

**_TitansGirl-OtherStuff_-*sighs* Okey-dokey. You spelled it wrong, just so you know. It's 'leprechauns'. You're more insane than you know. XD She shouldn't do it at all, tops! And Danny doesn't approve, he's just not thinking straight. You gotta understand, he's just detoxed himself. Kinda puts alot of strain on the body.**

**_Kagome51_-YAY! Hooray for normal Danny!**

**_VampireGurlxox_-Heya, where've ya been? Why'd you skip school? Yeah...I think she already has.**

**_fishy9494_-Yes, it was OOC, but I needed him to keep it a secret. You'll see where all this leads eventually. He will, he tried to in this chapter. But it's hard when the other person won't talk. Yeah...idk if Sam's parents are coming back into the story. I'm glad you're still enjoying the story! I thought you were mad at me!**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-Yeah, but you'll see where this is headed. Her cutting scenes play huge roles in this story. You'll see how later on. Xd Yeah, he probably should, shouldn't he?**

**_lilyt789_-It's a bittersweet moment. It's supposed to be dark. It's a hurt/comfort story.**

**_DannyPhantomLover8998_-Yeah, I understand. Hm...do you know Butch Hartman's e-mail address? I got a few bones to pick with him... Thanks!**

**_Gracie407_-There's a reason I made him do it. Sam's cutting scenes play huge roles in the story. You'll see why later on.**


	19. Chapter 19

~Chapter 19~

After everyone had turned in their tests and were walking out of Mr. Lancer's classroom, the teacher asked Danny to talk to him a minute. Danny was sure he knew what this was about. Sam. This wasn't the first time Lancer had talked to his students about her. Tucker and Danny were the main subjects of these talks, being as the trio were friends. However, since Sam had retreated into herself and wouldn't hardly talk to Tucker, the geek was mostly dismissed from these 'secret meetings'. The goth had no idea about them, and Mr. Lancer planned to keep it that way until they could find out what was wrong.

"Yes, sir?" the halfa asked.

"You probably already know what it is I'm going to talk to you about, Daniel," the educator started.

He nodded and whispered, "Sam."

"Yes. You're her closest friend right now; even I can see it. I've noticed she's been a bit..._depressed_ lately. She won't talk to anyone and seems to go to the bathroom more and more. I don't know if it's because she's pregnant, of which the father I still don't know, or if it's because she's wanting to skip class." He walked to the windows on the side of the building and peered through the blinds, as if searching for Sam. "So I need you to do me a favor..."

* * *

The vegan sighed in bliss at the sound of her blood dripping onto the hard floor of the bathroom stall. Seeing it practically put her on a high. It had begun to form a small puddle between her feet. There was hardly any room to cut left on the underside of her arm, so she'd used up what she could and had to start going higher, more towards the shoulders. The blood branched into a little stream that made its way to the drain. The bathrooms weren't the cleanest, but they were clean enough to cut in, so she had decided.

Sam angled her razor blade so it could cut deeper into thicker skin. She tried her best to ignore the nausea she felt in the pit of her stomach as she moved the razor blade from on side of her arm to the other, but the feeling just kept getting stronger. Eventually she had to drop the razor blade and upchuck her breakfast.

* * *

"I don't know if today's such a good day, Mr. Lancer... See, it's my sister's birthday today. We have a little tradition that we do; our parents take us to dinner so we have a day with them all to ourselves. So tonight, Jazz is going to dinner without me and she'll have Mom and Dad to herself. I don't know if I can-" Danny was cut off by his teacher.

"Daniel, please. Your parents have informed me of that little birthday tradition. It explains why Jazz isn't here today. But this is for Ms. Manson's own good. During a depression, teenagers are more perceptible to drugs and alcohol than at any other time in their lives. In order for zero temptation to those things, I need you to watch her very closely tonight."

The hybrid sighed and nodded. His teacher didn't know Sam had been kicked out of her house, and was living with them. "I'll see what I can do."

Mr. Lancer turned and smiled at his student. "Ms. Manson will thank you later if she runs into any trouble today. Make sure you don't let her out of your sight."

Danny nodded, not quite sure if he could do that. Yes, he had an 'invisible' eye, but Sam had become so secretive about nearly everything she did that she could disappear from his sight for weeks on end if she wanted to. He wasn't sure if he could handle her all by himself.

* * *

The bell rang loudly and obnoxiously, telling the entire school that it was time to go home. Quorums of students flooded the halls and outside of school grounds, eagerly boarding buses and cars to escape the place of nonstop inquisition.

Sam had been among the crowds until she got outside, where a few outcasts were grouped together. They called her over. She came only to find them trying to get her to try a new kind of mineral water that was supposed to be good for both her and the baby, and taste really good as well.

It was a large brownish glass bottle that looked like it might have had the label peeled off of it.

Without asking too many questions, she took it and pressed it to her lips as the other kids sneered their victory. The water tasted so gross it tasted good. And she loved how it burned her throat; felt really good. And anything that felt good must be okay.

Sam didn't know why these kids were being nice to her, but she appreciated it.

* * *

Danny sighed in relief when his backpack slid off his shoulders. Boy, was that a load off... He hadn't bothered walking Sam home; she'd said she was going to ride the bus home. He may not have trusted her with a knife, but he trusted her on a bus, where she couldn't slip away and wouldn't cut herself in plain sight. Speaking of which, he needed to have a serious talk with her when she got home.

But until then he could only wait...and wait...and wait...

It had been three hours by the time there was a knock at the door.

"Finally..." he mumbled to himself. He'd kept himself occupied this whole time by watching a program about how NASA trained astronauts. As embarrassing as it was, he still wanted to be one. He made his way over to the door and opened it to have Sam stumble inside, gripping a brown bottle that was just below half-empty. "Sam, what's that?"

"Wow, sorry I took s'long! Man, that was...was one wild party!" she said, her speech slurred. She threw her head up and pressed the bottle's rim to her lips, allowing its contents to empty into her mouth.

"Party? What party? You were supposed to come straight home!" the halfa told her, slightly worried at the word 'party'. Perverted men liked to go after pregnant women because they knew they weren't the dad and knew they wouldn't have to worry about getting her pregnant since it was someone else's responsibility.

"I think I'm in l-love. I met this guy there, he called...called me awesome," she continued.

Danny closed the door to watch her resume drinking whatever substance was in that bottle. "Where'd you meet a guy?"

She looked up at him, eyes hazy and unfocused. Then she grinned widely. "Hey! S'you! Ya know, I...I's lookin' fer ya! Where ya been, buddy?"

"Sam, why are you acting like that?" the halfa had every reason to be concerned.

"Wha-? Me? Oh, this s'nothin'! S'jus' some...uh...I-I dunno. Mus've forgot 'r somethin'." She tipped the bottle again and drank some more.

"Sam, is that..." He sniffed the air to pick out the scent of alcohol. "...Is that beer? Are you _drinking_?" He snatched the bottle from her and watched as she stumbled forward and giggled.

"Yer s'funny!" she giggled. Her eyes, still hazy with alcohol and still unfocused from it, looked at him lustfully. "Wanna 'ave some fun, Mark?" she purred into his ear.

"First of all, it's Danny; second of all, you're drunk." He pushed her head away and started feeling both disappointed in her and uncomfortable by being around her. Why would she get drunk? Come to think of it, why would she even drink at all? She was pregnant! Didn't she care about the baby's life? Hadn't she made it clear that she didn't want it to die? So what would make her go get drunk? ...Of course, the same thing that would make her cut herself.

Sam got closer and ran her hand over his chest, making him turn five shades of red. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered seductively, "Y'look awfully sexy right now..."

"Uh, uh, um... S-Sam, stop it! P-Please!" he stammered. He wasn't sure how much longer this torture would last. And he most certainly wasn't prepared to be seduced by a drunken Sam. He knew his hormones would go crazy any second now if she kept this up, but he didn't have much strength against the drunk's techniques. With her cute little playful giggles and her suggestive smiles... Even Danny had to admit she looked pretty hot tonight, even if she _was_ smashed. Strands of sweaty hair hung down over her face and her amethyst eyes lit up with her kitten-like attitude. And it didn't make it any easier to fight against the feminine terror when she was hanging off him, grabbing and holding his shirt as though her life depended on it.

While he was frozen solid from both embarrassment and confusion, she grabbed on to the topmost part of his shirt, made herself look even cuter by batting her eyelashes at him, and closed the distance between them. Her petal-soft lips met his firm ones with such drunken passion that the entire house seemed to smile.

Danny was hardly able to register what she was doing; he was still far too shocked. But if there was one thing he could tell, it was that her whole tongue was thick with beer. It even tasted like beer. She must've drank a ton of that stuff, because even after she pulled away, he could still taste it in his mouth.

"C'mon, Ken..." she begged, though nobody knew for what exactly. She rested her head on his chest and glanced up at him, smirking.

"It's...It's Danny..." he corrected, just barely able to because of what she'd done. Geez, when they said a kiss could take your breath away, they weren't kidding. Poor guy was practically speechless! Next time she kissed him, he'd try to comply. It was the least he could do after she'd gotten so drunk.

"WOO!" she howled. She took off her shirt and threw it across the room. The many scars that shirt revealed were like something seen only in a horror film."YEAH!"

But Danny didn't hardly see any of anything. The moment he saw her black bra, he toppled over.

When he came to, Sam was still shirtless-thankfully her bra was still on-and she was draining the last of her beer. Great, now she was even more drunk than before, if that was possible.

The next thing he knew, she was on his lap, straddling him. Her long skirt was lifted up-not enough to reveal her panties-to reveal at least twenty scars and five lengthy scabs. All were on her thighs and he could tell at least two scabs had just formed today. Her arms, however, were a different story altogether. There were far too many scars to count, and some scars had even formed over older ones. They looked like the stitches to her skin. And the row was leading up to her shoulders.

Sam stopped moving and her whole body went limp. She collapsed on the halfa, who sighed in relief and frustration. He decided to scoop her up and take her upstairs to rest, but could hardly get her off the ground. The extra twenty pounds she'd gained since she got pregnant was really starting to take its toll on him.

Eventually, he managed to get her up the stairs and into the bed. before he pulled the covers over her, though, he checked her arms again. The very sight of them nearly brought him to tears. This was Sam. _His_ Sam. And she'd been doing terrible things to herself while he sat back and watched. That stupid promise...it was hurting the girl he loved. He didn't want anyone to hurt her. But she hadn't kept her own promise to keep the cutting under control. Seven to twelve cuts in one day wasn't under control, like she'd claimed. It went too far, and he knew he should tell someone, but maybe she was right on the verge of figuring this out. She'd hate him. It was hard when someone you loved hated you. It was even harder when the only way they could reciprocate those feelings was by getting smashed. And it was even harder to watch them slit their wrists day in and day out.

He pulled the covers over the drunk and turned off the lights, leaving with, "Goodnight, dove. I love you." More than she'd ever know...

* * *

The next morning, Sam's head wasn't just pulsating, it was _throbbing_. She thought trying to ignore it and sleep it off was the best way to go, but it hurt so bad she couldn't get back to sleep.

Danny was hovering over her. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

"Ugh..." she groaned. Internal pain and emotional pain; she hated both. Headaches fell under 'internal pain'. "My head is killing me..."

"That's not much of a surprise. Don't you remember _any_ of what happened last night?" he asked.

"Lemme guess; a ghost attacked, I fell and hit my head so hard I got amnesia, and you brought me back here."

He chuckled. "Close, but no. You got drunk and came back on your own." He gave her a glass of water and two Aspirins, which she quickly and gratefully took. "Then you said something about a party and some guy you met there. Then you noticed me. Then you asked me if I wanted to have some fun. Then you told me I was sexy. Then you seduced me and tried to get me to do...pretty immoral stuff. And then you kissed me. Then...uh...do you really want me to continue?"

She nodded unsurely. If it was so bad he had to ask to continue... She shivered at the thoughts that ran through her head. "Go on."

"Well, you took off your shirt, I passed out, and when I woke up you were on my lap straddling me."

"And then I passed out?"

"And then I brought you up here to rest," he finished, conveniently leaving out what he'd said to her after she passed out.

She let out a heavy, frustrated sigh. "I didn't mean to get drunk; I'm sorry. Some kids at school gave me 'mineral water' and I thought it tasted funny, but didn't really care. I don't remember what happened after that."

"Well, apparently you went to a party. Not even I can say what you did there." he told her. "But it's not really me you should be apologizing to. You got drunk, Sam. You're pregnant, remember?"

"How can I forget?" she said softly. Tears began leaking out. "I'll never make a good mother..."

"Well, if you stop cutting yourself and start taking prenatal care, I'm sure you'll make an excellent one."

"I drank alcohol, Danny... Even though I didn't know what it was, I still drank it. Now it's either going to die or come out deformed!"

Danny remained silent. He didn't know alot about pregnancies or anything female for that matter. Maybe it was best just to let her cry it out rather than risk making it worse.

After awhile, she calmed down enough to talk. "Did I really kiss and seduce you? Or were you making that all up, along with throwing in that I called you sexy and took off my shirt?"

He couldn't contain his laughter. "No, you were literally all over me, Sam. I was the one who told you to stop, but you just up and kissed me out of the blue. You were hanging off my shirt and everything. Kept smiling at me and making yourself look hot-...uh...drunk. Some of the things you did were actually kind of cute." He blushed and awaited her response.

She, too, blushed, but from embarrassment. "Sorry I put you through all that..."

She tried to remember, but couldn't. Which sucked; she wanted to remember a time when she was happy. Even if she was high, she wanted to remember being happy. It seemed like all the happy times had been washed away to be replaced by painful, sad times. And thinking about wanting to be happy made her want to cut herself again. Badly.

"Hey, Danny, could you get me some veggies? I'm hungry," she requested.

He smiled, got up, and left for the vegetables.

* * *

The halfbreed pushed a bowl of instant mashed potatoes into the microwave to cook. Or heat. Whichever it was called. He honestly didn't know. And he honestly didn't know why he was thinking about it.

As the smaller version of the oven counted down from ten, with a little, short, beep at each second, he counted with it. It was a habit he'd developed as a kid and it hadn't gone away all these years. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two..."

A very loud thud echoed through his mind, soon to be followed by an equally loud crash, like glass shattering against something hard. He verbalized the first thing that came to his now-panicked mind: "SAM!"

**A/N**

**Anyone find it weird that I made Sam get drunk and do 'stuff' in this chapter? That's because this was an ALCOHOL AWARENESS chapter. Drink to much, and that's what happens.**

**Not much else to say, so on to the new review quota: two hundred and sixty-six (366) reviews. Hope that's not too much... Just kinda testing my limits right now.**

**Now to your review replies:**

**_DannyPhantomLover8998_-Nah, they have. That's why, in this chapter, she's worried about the baby. She's only doing her arms, legs, and a little of her back (sorry I didn't make that all-too-clear in the last chapter) so the baby's not gonna get hurt. The way things are going she's more likely to hate him; he doesn't want to even risk that. Wow, a biology teaching mom. Cool; I love biology.**

**_aras the crazy writer_-Yowch.**

**_TwilightObsessed91_-She's already kinda going insane. It's not shown through true mentality, like you see in horror psycho movies, but it's suggested in small amount over the course of the story. Last chapter, it showed how she kinda just...lost it. Couldn't control herself anymore, but wouldn't admit it and kept thinking she didn't need help.**

**_Jaded Jimmie_-Thank you.**

**_VampireGurlxox_-Bet you learned your lesson about skipping school, huh? Good; it's supposed to be addictive! lolz Kewl, a blackberry!**

**_Kagome51_-Maybe she will, maybe she won't. I'll never tell until I do tell. *tries to hide evil smile* Yeah, he will, won't he?**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-Thanks! It's good when the readers can connect to the characters. Yeah, that's the sad thing about cutting. You become so secretive that you don't talk to the people who care about you, and ultimately start losing them.**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-I dunno, but it's a great idea to think about. That's good cuz the star locket song ROCKS.**

**_Codiak_-Sadly, we weren't. Thanks, will do!**

**_Hellbreaker_-Thank you. Yeah...I can't help but wonder if my dad is doing the same to me. You aren't pathetic; don't get yourself down like that. I understand how hard it is to let go; I still haven't accomplished it. Oh, definitely. Moment? He was nutzo for like, four or five chapters! lolz, it's beyond a moment!**

**_lpwriter4life_-Ah, no harm done. I hope you never resort to self-harm. Please don't try what I did! That's a reason I'm putting in these cutting scenes, is because I want people to know just how bad it is and can get. Yeah, probably not... I like being able to use experience like that. Besides, I felt like not enough people knew about how addictive and overall harmful cutting can be. So this story is a great way to inform my readers.**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Well, I gotta say she's mastered the technique... I'm not gonna give away too much info on the upcoming chapters, though, so don't try to con me into it! lolz**

**_fishy9494_-He's actually very lost at the moment. It seems few readers realize that. Oh, GOD, no! Anything but a confidential chat with Jazz! It's the worst torture there is! Plus, Sam might take something she says the wrong way. (You know how Jazz can be...)**

**_hunnybunny276198_-It's okay. O.o A series book in 3 days? I've heard of too much reading but this takes the cake. Hope ya liked this chappie.**


	20. Chapter 20

~Chapter 20~

Even though the microwave was beeping incessantly in his ear, Danny didn't hear a single sound from it. The thud and crash kept echoing in his mind and panic began taking over. His heart racing faster and faster, he ran up the stairs and almost tripped doing it. But he didn't care what happened to him; Sam was still in his room and had done something to make that noise. What worried him the most was this one question: what happened?

The door slammed HARD against the wall as the panic-stricken teen flew inside his own room. He didn't care if everyone woke up because of it; he hadn't even given thought to it. All that mattered was making sure Sam was okay.

But the sight before him was horrifying. A bloodied steak knife had just stopped sliding across the floor. His beloved was laying motionless on her back, in her own widening pool of dark red blood. Cuts covered her arms and her thighs. The lamp that had been on his nightstand had apparently fallen on her head, little shards of glass everywhere. Blood was still pooling around her body, but thankfully none of it was coming from her head or neck.

The hybrid ran over to her and knelt down, gently tapping her cheek to try to wake her up. Finding this to be ineffective, he put two fingers on her neck, feeling for her pulse. He couldn't help but sigh in relief when he felt a was a steady heartbeat.

His hand trembled as he tenderly and cautiously brushed away all the hair and glass bits off her face. Her eyes were closed and her face had a few scratches, scrapes, and small cuts from the lamp. He guessed she'd passed out from losing too much blood from cutting herself too much and hit the nightstand on her way down, causing the lamp to fall on her. But the amount of lost blood scared the skin off him. The puddle was so large, it was hard to tell where the red liquid was coming from. He assumed she'd lost just under two and a half pints of it.

The panicked halfa carefully picked her up bridal-style and transformed into the infamous superhero, Danny Phantom. Also known as Invis-O-Bill. People called him both names, but he preferred Phantom over Invis-O-Bill any day.

He turned himself and the goth he was holding intangible and phased through the wall of his room, quickly determining which way the nearest hospital was.

* * *

Sam groggily lifted one eyelid only about halfway up to observe her surroundings. She found herself no longer in Danny's room, where she last remembered being, but in a dull white room. To her left was a monitor that kept steadily beeping, while to her right was a few chairs. Danny was sitting in the one closest to her and had his arms crossed and his head down. Light snores told her he was asleep. She suddenly became aware of two needles taped to each of her arms, one needle on one arm, and the other needle on the other arm. The needle on her right arm had a red tube that connected to a red bag that hung off a thin metal pole. The other had some kind of clear fluid in it and also connected to a bag, clear this time, that hung off a congruent metal pole. A third tube wrapped around her face, under her nose, and tucked behind her ears. It seemed to give her air whenever she breathed through her nose. In front of her was a closed door.

The monitor kept up its incessant beeping sound; it took the goth awhile to figure out it was beeping in sync to her heart's beat. She had no clue where she was at, though. All she knew was that Danny was here and nobody else, and that she was stuck in some kind of room with weird machines.

"Danny...?" she groaned, finding her voice raspy and her throat parched. She didn't hear any answer to indicate she'd woken him. Even though she was extremely tired and felt beyond exhausted, it would be too hard to get back to sleep with her thirst growing more and more by the minute. So she tried again, trying to be clearer and louder this time. "Danny?"

His eyes, which had dark bags under them, shot open and he hurried to rush to her bedside. "Sam, how're you feeling?" he asked softly, barely able to stave off a yawn.

"Tired...and thirsty..." she mumbled.

The halfbreed walked around to the other side of her bed and took a white Styrofoam cup. He bent a straw that also happened to be on the same table as the cup, put it in the ice water, and gave the cup to Sam. She gratefully took it and started draining the entire cup.

After she was done, she asked, "Where am I?"

"You're at a hospital, Sam. I went to fix you some mashed potatoes and heard a thump and a crash. When I came upstairs, you were laying unconscious on the floor. My lamp fell and hit you on the head," he explained.

"Why am I at a hospital, though? Why didn't you just put me back in bed or something?"

"You finally went too deep. You lost too much blood. I had to bring you here so you could have a blood transfusion."

She looked up at the red bag. So that was what it was. A blood transfusion. "Oh. What's my blood type?"

"AB positive."

"Who's blood is going into me?"

Danny shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. They took some of my blood but my blood type is O positive, so I couldn't donate."

"If they took tests on your blood, then wouldn't they find out you're half ghost?" she wondered aloud.

"No. When I'm Phantom, I have pure ghost blood running through my veins. But when I'm Fenton, I have only human blood. I know this because a ghost's blood is a neon green color. And it glows. Human blood isn't green and it doesn't glow. When they took my blood, it wasn't green and didn't glow. So I kinda put the pieces together." Danny shrugged again, as if it was no big deal. He hadn't told her that he had risked his secret when they took his blood. He hadn't known whether or not his blood would be mixed with that of a ghost's. So he'd literally just found out when the needle went in.

"Nobody knows about my secret, though, right?" The thought had just hit her.

"I didn't tell them, but they probably found out from all those scars."

"Why'd you let them see?"

He smiled and gently said, "Well, I had to choose between your life and your secret. I think the answer is obvious."

"Ugh...great... Now I'm gonna have to go to therapy or be put in a straitjacket."

"I''m sure they won't do that to you. Although, to make matters fair, I _did_ tell you to stop cutting. You didn't listen and now look where it got you. Remember when I asked you if it was worth it?"

The vegetarian nodded. At the time, she thought it was fine, that just two or three cuts wouldn't do that much damage. But now, around a month later, she was in a hospital due to blood loss and was currently having a blood transfusion done. On top of that, these scars would last for the rest of her life. "Danny, I think I'm addicted to cutting."

"Ya think? You know this isn't even the extent of the damage, either, right? You and Tucker aren't even friends anymore because he can't put his finger on why you're so secretive. Your grades are slipping because you spend more time drawing blood than you do drawing letters. You got a detention for being tardy, again because you were cutting, and skipped it. And on top of that you haven't been studying alot, which only downs your grades even more. I think it's safe to say that this has to stop," he said.

"I didn't mean for this to happen..."

"I know you didn't. I told you this stuff worked like a drug. And all those times I asked you to talk to me, you got mad and told me to back off. I was only trying to help so you could _avoid_ having to go to the hospital. I told you I had your best interest at heart, and I meant it," he told her.

"But, Danny, I'm just gonna keep cutting myself. Yeah, this was a wake-up call, but I'm gonna want a knife or something once I'm better. I just know I will..."

"Nope; I'm taking all sharp objects into my custody, and then I'm hiding them from you. When you get back from this place, the house is going to be completely Sam-proof. And to ensure your safety, you'll eat with nothing but a spoon, that way you can't jab yourself with a fork."

"Thanks, I guess."

"And to make sure you get off this cutting addiction, you're going to go-"

"Don't say Jazz!" she interrupted.

"I wasn't; that's _too_ extreme. I was going to say-"

"Therapist? Psychiatrist? Shrink?"

"No. I was going to say you're going to go to a rehab clinic."

"Rehab? I'm on blood, Danny, not drugs."

"I know. This is a special rehab center I looked up online. It's called Other Ways Rehabilitation Clinic and the best part about it is that it's for cutters. It's a little far away from Amity Park, but if I fly us there, it won't take as long as by car."

"But you can't go back and forth every day."

"I won't have to. They let their patients stay at the clinic until they're broken from their addiction. So you'll be staying there until you don't feel the need to cut yourself, I'll cover for you at school, but the downside to it is that my family is gonna have to know about the problem."

"I don't want anyone to know!"

"Would you rather keep doing it? Sam, you promised me this wasn't going to get out of control, but when you wind up at a hospital because of too much blood loss...well, I'd say it's gotten out of control by then."

"...I'll go to rehab..." the goth grumbled.

* * *

Sam and Danny Fenton stood in front of a large white building. There was a sign at its entrance that sat right above the door and said, "Other Ways". A good abbreviation would be "O.W." It looked like a giant hospital with three floors.

Sam started to turn around, but was stopped by the boy's hand. "And where do you think you're going, Miss 'I'll go to rehab'?"

"I change my mind! I didn't mean any of what I said at the hospital!" she protested.

Danny sighed and dragged her inside. The clinic was supposed to have everything she needed, including clothes, brushes, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, so he hadn't packed any of her things. He'd actually already filled in her papers, so they knew she needed maternity clothes. He'd put in the maternity clothes just in case this took longer than expected. He just hoped it wouldn't take six months. And he hoped the baby wouldn't decide to make an appearance before it was time. But she was only three and a half months; it wasn't very likely.

"Sam, I've already filled out all your paperwork and they're already expecting you. Besides, is the hospital where you really want to end up..._again_?"

She shook her head and reluctantly followed him inside. The inside wasn't swarming with people, like she'd imagined. There were a few people with matching outfits that seemed to be going somewhere, but she couldn't tell if they were visitors, patients, or staff. It actually looked alot like the school. It had tile floors, it branched into several different hallways... But there were no lockers. She assumed this was because they had rooms on the first floor.

Danny brought Sam up to the first room on their right and opened the door for her to go in. "Ladies first."

The vegan reluctantly went in to be greeted by a counselor that worked in the facility. "H-Hey..." Sam said nervously.

"Ah, Ms. Manson, right? We've been expecting you! Have a seat, please." The lady gestured over to a chair with a huge smile on her face.

Sam and Danny both took a seat and Danny was handed a pamphlet, which he immediately began reading.

"Um, don't I get one? I mean, I'm the one who has to stay here, not him," the girl said.

"Well, that's because here we like to keep our newcomers surprised!" she replied gleefully.

"Can I just ask what the heck you're so happy about?" Sam asked.

"It uplifts the spirits of all our patients here at Other Ways," she answered.

The lady was heavily set, and most likely overweight. She had the traditional librarian look, with a fall-colors vest and reading glasses, even a book with an elegant bookmark right beside a festive cup of coffee. "Now, Samantha, how long do you think you've been cutting yourself?"

"A month."

"_Every day_ for a month," Danny corrected.

The lady jotted something down on a sheet of paper and resumed the interrogation. "And how many times do you cut yourself per day?"

"Seven to twelve. Maybe more." Again, it was Danny. When he looked up from his pamphlet to see the surprised look on the woman's face, he added, "She has the scars to prove it." And when he said this, he received from Sam a very cold stare.

She wrote something else down; the pair assumed it was their answers to her questions. "And how deep do you think you cut?"

Sam quickly opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by Danny, "She had to go to the hospital because of blood loss and had a blood transfusion." If looks could kill...

She wrote this down as well. "Now, I'm not going to ask about the length because I know how they vary. However, I do need to know what you're cutting from. Is it depression? Anger? Confusion? Desperation? Anything like that."

This was the one question the halfa couldn't answer for her. She took a deep breath and said, "All of the above." She saw the hybrid's expression drop and felt kind of guilty for saying it right in front of him; she knew how much he cared about her. "...But I'm going to get better." Then she whispered to herself, "Hopefully..."

Danny continued reading the pamphlet. His eyes hadn't left it since he got it. If the girl he loved was going to stay here, he wanted to know what kind of hardships they were going to put her through, even if it was for her own good. But then again...this was cutting, not drugs. It shouldn't be too hard or take too long to get over it. Maybe a week tops. In the pamphlet was a map of each of the three floors. If he wanted to visit Sam, he'd probably find these maps useful.

"That's a great answer, Samantha! That's the first step to stopping cutting, and you just took it! You're on the road to recovery now!" the lady cheered. She reached in her desk drawer and pulled out a map of the first floor. She folded it up and gave it to the goth. "You're room will be here." She took a blue pen and drew a little dot in a rectangle on the map. "You'll be sharing it with three other girls, so don't be surprised if you find the living conditions a tad tight." The lady smiled kindly and gestured toward the door, as if telling them to get out now.

The pair got up and walked out. Sam was supposed to go get herself acquainted with the other cutters, as Danny had explained to her on their way here. Then she was to get herself familiar with the first floor and her room. According to the map, she would be across from the boys' side, and the rooms were all supposed to be sound-proof. She couldn't help but wonder why that was. Each room had its own bathroom that the tenants were expected to keep clean. It was supposed to teach them something about responsibility, or so the description on the side of the map said.

"If cutting doesn't kill me, this place will," she said sarcastically. She looked at Danny. "Seriously, what kind of tortures do they have in store for me, anyway? Doesn't that pamphlet say anything?"

The halfa smiled but didn't answer her question. Instead, he handed her a picture of the three of them-him, Tucker, and her-and said, "Don't forget about us." He left the facility while Sam was still letting it sink in.

**A/N**

**Yeah, the next few chapters will be like this one. Alot of talking because they'll be describing what Sam does in rehab. In the same sense, they might also be shorter because of it. I actually looked this up on the internet. There really is such thing as a rehab center for cutters. Although I wasn't able to find out its name. So in this story, I named it Other Ways, which I think is a good name for a cutters' rehab center. Anyway, the next few chapters will be brutal for Sam thanks to her addiction. I'm not gonna hint at anything, but I just wanted to let you guys know.**

**Sorry for the last chapter's review quota... I wrote out 266 reviews but I put down 366 reviews. I meant 266, just so you know. Finger hit the wrong key and I missed the error it caused. Anyway, the new review quota for this chapter will be two hundred and seventy-nine (279) reviews.**

**And, without further ado, I give you your review replies:**

**_Kagome51_-Well, we'll just have to see about that, now won't we? lolz!**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-Yap, always a new problem. But doesn't every story have one? lolz, but mine has several! Several times the suspense!Good; I like when my readers are feeling what the characters are feeling. I put a ton of emotion into this just so you guys like it. Hm...maybe it did, maybe it didn't. I'll never tell until I tell. *grins***

**_Inventor of ZADRF_-Well the bottle was big. Like, beyond normal sized. I tried to emphasize that, but with a bottle...well, it's kinda hard. Yeah. I still thought it was sweet, even if it was fake. I don't really update fast, I just happened to have alot of free time on my hands. I took what I could use. XD THROW him? ROFL! Please don't say that again! I laughed too hard now my lungs hurt! (for real) Well, he kinda calls himself that in the show. What am I supposed to call him? The 'African American'? lolz! Um...I'm on my tweny-fifth page and going strong. Overcame my writers' block, so I can get back on track now. No worries, I like reading long rambles. I just don't like replying to them! XD**

**_Gracie407_-Yeah. I tend to think of something really uplifting when I think my readers need a break from all the depressing sad stuff. I try my best on this thing. What do you think happened? You know you're like, the only person that caught that part? I was shocked at how nobody commented on how he called her 'dove' in the last chapter. I thought for sure everyone would be all over that! Of course he brought it up again, but Sam doesn't know he remembered. He only remembers bits and pieces of it, not the whole thing, but he remembers calling her 'dove'.**

**_fishy9494_-lolz, yeah. I thought poor old Mr. Lancer needed a little spotlight in the story. He's left out of so many, after all. You make me scared...seriously. You always seem to know what I'm gonna write next! Which is actually good 'cause I need some new ideas. Help me out? AW! CURSE YOUR GET-ME-THINKING QUESTIONS!**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Very much so, yes. It's fun torturing her. So you can just imagine the next few chapters... *smiles*I know, right? Stupid cliffies!**

**_aras the crazy writer_-I know; I was trying to do something both funny, realistic, and unexpected. What can I say? This fit the bill! After reading this, you won't have to figure it out.**

**_Codiak_-I know! Me too! People who aren't themselves are just...rofl! Yep, it's very bad on Sam's part. Well, it's not really her fault. I made her do it! XD I'm so evil...**

**_DannyPhantomLover8998_-Thanks! Yeah, I was laughing so hard I almost couldn't write the chapter! I couldn't get Danny's blushing face out of my head! lolz! I'm still deciding that, actually. I dunno whether to make just Jazz find out, or all of them find out, or...well, you know where this is going, right? How could Dash prove it, though? He's..well, he's Dash. He's a moron. Wow, good luck with 'em!**

**_L._-Thanks and I will. Try to. I will try to. I also got a real-life, no-internet story to write that will eventually be a book. So I'm kinda busy, especially considering the amounts of schoolwork and stuff...**

**_Hellbreaker_-XD Oh, man! Truer words have never been spoken! That's good to hear. You aren't a loser! Stop thinking of yourself that way! Whoever made you think that way about yourself is the loser, not you. Well, that person and the men who go to 'gentlemen's' clubs. Why do they call it that anyway? No gentleman would go to a place like that! Too immoral!**

**_Jaded Jimmie_-His face is DEFINITELY blushy! No doubt about that! XD**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-Nah, but you just found out what was wrong with her. lolz, good guess, but still not correct.**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Nice to know that you're into the story. I love it when my readers like my stories! ^.^**

**_Kpfan72491_-Thank you.**

**_lpwriter4life_-Broke a window? No, I don't think she'll ever get THAT desperate. Thanks! I'm glad it worked, then! Served its purpose.**

**_hunnybunny276198_-She is, as you can see through this chapter.**

**_Ink Kissed_-Well, you're welcome! lolz, my first good summary! Yeah, they do. Just wish I knew why. lolz, no harm done, right? I look forward to any more feedback you have to give me.**

**_The Silver Radio_-Xd Bummer for you. Yeah, that's always exciting. (speaking for myself) It's actually affecting the whole school. Or at least...getting noticed by them. You're welcome! It's supposed to be able to open your eyes like that because it's an awareness fic. I didn't mention it in the summary because (a) nobody really reads awareness fics and (b) I didn't have enough room.**

**_Guess whooo_-I love you too. Yeah, I figured it out when I read your signature, Kris. What's so wrong with the 'K'? Why does it have to be a 'Ch'? It puts a twist to your name, makes it unique. Unique is good! I'll update when I update; I still have Bestia to write, you know. And btw, YOU'RE the jerk! You beat up a bunch of aliens and put them in jail! And must I mention the PRESIDENT?**

**_xxxAngelBlueEyesxxx_-Oh, okay. Nice new name. Although, selfishly speaking, I liked VampireGurlxox better. Made it sound...I dunno, just...I dunno. But that's only my opinion, I'm not trying to discredit the name or be mean or anything. **

**And those were my loyal, super-awesome reviewers! And Kris. (lolz, jk, Kris, jk)**


	21. Chapter 21

~Chapter 21~

Danny flopped on his bed and tried to push away the thoughts of Sam's well-being. It was a hospital, after all! Of course she was going to be okay! For what had to be the millionth time, if not the billionth, he looked over the pamphlet that the heavy-set lady had given him. He practically knew every word by heart and could probably recite the thing if he wanted to.

The white rings appeared and he morphed from Phantom to Fenton, the pamphlet still being intently studied.

"Oh, Sam...why'd you even cut yourself _once_?" he whispered to no one in particular. His bed, his room, his house...his heart...seemed much emptier without her there, like a giant hole had opened up and no one but the goth could fill it. It was painful, love. Painful...but worth it. And he loved her. He loved her so, so much. And it hurt knowing she didn't feel the same, but Danny stood back and accepted it with dignity, the only thing he had at that point.

But that stupid, aweful man... He'd changed her life. She feared any intimacy now, even if it was just in the slightest. She'd known the halfa for years upon years, and they'd kissed twice in that time. Well, three actually, but he doubted a childish play-boyfriend kiss counted as anything. Point was, she'd blushed both times. He'd tried to kiss her for real, and then she'd bolted. He knew it was from fear, but it was a fear that should never have been there in the first place. Poor Sam shouldn't _need_ to feel afraid of anyone or anything. At least not in his mind she shouldn't. That horrible man didn't just affect Sam, even though she had taken pretty much all the punishment he had to offer. Twice.

An image of her expression when he'd caught her crept slowly into his mind, seeming to tease his thoughts. Scared, helpless, powerless, and not a glimmer of hope. He crumpled up the pamphlet in distress, threw it on the floor, and punched his pillow. An indent was left where his fist had made contact. He didn't care. He'd failed, time and time again, to protect her from this mysterious stranger. It was because of his carelessness that she was pregnant with a rapist's child. That she'd nearly been killed. That she'd been raped again! And furthermore, that she was now locked up in Other Ways.

"Danny?" a calm, relaxed, and soft voice called to him. It could instantly be recognized as Jazz's, and her voice almost seemed to calm him and soothe him. But nothing could ever take away that horrid guilt that he felt every day for letting Sam fall into such a position as rape.

"Sam's not here. I'll explain everything tomorrow," he replied evenly. He had to be careful, he mused, not to let his own inner turmoil take over. That was obviously what happened to Sam, and look at where she ended up.

Jazz sighed and sat down on his bedside. She failed to see the extremely light pinkish splatter that had been left when Danny cleaned up Sam's blood. Being his sister meant she could sense when he was and wasn't upset. It was a sibling advantage. "You've been trying to help her, haven't you?"

His head shot up as rapidly as it could. "What do you mean?"

"I know she hurts herself. Now, I don't know why...but I've been observing her from a distance lately trying to figure it out. I haven't made much progress. But I think she's just getting worse, Danny. You need to let her know how you feel. Maybe it'll help," she suggested, snaking one arm around her little brother and pulling him a bit closer to her. To her surprise, Danny didn't object to this action, but rather, he allowed it.

"She was upset...and I promised not to tell...but only if she didn't go too deep..." he cracked. Tears had begun rolling down his face, but he couldn't stop them even in the presence of his sister. "She hurt herself so bad she needed to go to a hospital, Jazz! A HOSPITAL!" His body shook with fury and hurt and all the other pain he'd been enclosing in himself. It felt horrible. A part of him wanted to be cool about it, another part wanted to beat something up, another part wanted to hunt down the rapist and obliterate him, and another part wanted to stay and let Sam get better before doing anything else. He didn't know what to do anymore. He needed the guidance that he knew his sister could provide.

"You're confused," she sang softly, "because Sam hurt herself on your watch. You feel like it's your fault."

It was his fault... If only he'd been there to stop any of this from happening...

"But the truth, Danny, is that no matter what you do, you can't change what happened. Eventually, Sam will regret what she did. She might blame you for what happened, but only because you were there for her and she knows it. But she'll come to terms with what happened either way, and she'll stop blaming you or whoever. And the reason you're hurting, even if you don't want to admit it, is because she's hurting. You don't like it when she's hurt, do you?"

He shook his head and waited for her to continue.

"You and Sam have a deep connection and an unbreakable bond. She hurts when you hurt, and you hurt when she hurts. You're the closest of friends, and no matter how far apart you get, you'll never truly separate. Just like if you went away, I would want to keep in touch with you. You and Sam are kind of like that," she finished.

She was right, except he didn't want to be friends anymore. He wanted to be more, he wanted to be closer. Above all, though, he wanted her happiness. If this separation was what it took, then he could endure it for however long necessary. He just didn't want to see her pained anymore... He _couldn't _see her pained anymore. With a quick, "Thanks," he stopped crying, wiped away his tear trails, and returned his sister's hug.

Maybe a regular check-in with Sam wouldn't be such a bad thing, though.

Come to think of it...he couldn't help but wonder what her roommates were like.

* * *

"Ugh! Could you please get out of the bathroom now?" the goth pleaded to the rudest girl in the room. She had to pee...badly. Her bladder felt like it was being pressed against her innards. Not a fun feeling.

A girl just two years older than Sam opened the door with an angry look on her face. She probably used to weigh more, but from her depression, she'd starved herself. Her skin was tight around her, but it some of it had begun to hang off her limbs and it looked uncomfortable. Her blond hair had lost the sheen and volume that it most likely once had, and she didn't seem to have the energy Sam knew she used to. Her green eyes were dull and depressed, but not nearly as depressed as Sam's violet ones. She'd look very pretty, if she would put a little meat on her bones. Because right now she looked like a skeleton with flesh. Creepy and disturbing...and sad.

"Well, _sorry_ for brushing my teeth! God, could you be any more annoying?" she muttered, just loud enough so that Sam and the other girls could hear her.

Appalled, the vegan retorted in her own defense, "I'm pregnant! I can't help having to go when I need to go!" Her bladder warned her about waiting for a reply at that very instant, so she decided it was best not to wait and ran inside the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

While she was busy relieving herself, an argument broke out between the underweight girl, whose name was Sandra, and another underweight girl, whose name was forgotten to the goth. The only other girl in the room was overweight; she seemed to be the only girl of normal weight. Two had starved themselves for reasons not yet known to her, and the other had eaten alot...or she was already like that. Sam couldn't help but listen in on the conversation. It seemed they were talking about her.

"You didn't have to be so cruel. You've always been like that. I know what happened to us, but-"

"But what? You expect me to move aside for some slut who suddenly appears out of the blue? I don't think so!" Sandra combated.

Sam had already heard enough, and had already caught a pretty good whiff of what life would be like while she stayed here. Even from inside the bathroom, she couldn't take it and shouted, "Will you quit calling me a slut? I have my reasons, okay? I HAVE MY REASONS!" She found her chest heaving up and down in sheer anger. If only they knew... But no, people never asked questions, not like Danny would've. They leapt to conclusions. At school, at home, even here, she was a slut all because she had a baby bump. Now, if she was married and the father wasn't a sadistic rapist...now that would be totally different. But life was never kind to those who were innocent. And that was what made _staying_ innocent so darn hard.

When she came out of the restroom, the other girls were in their pajamas and the overweight girl was even yawning, prepping herself for a good night's sleep. Meanwhile, she'd have no such luck sleeping tonight. It would be a rough night, filled with the same nightmares she'd been having ever since...the incident. And that was assuming she even went to sleep. If she didn't make to the nightmares, her head would be filled with nervous thoughts made from her own anxiety of this place. What they would do to her, how they would treat her, if they acted like drill sergeants...the list went on.

"So," the kind, underweight girl started, "why did you come here?"

She sighed and answered, with deep thought of Danny, "A friend told me to come here. I listened to him."

"Him?" The girl whose name was forgotten raised her eyebrow in interest, causing Sam to blush hotly.

"No, no! We're not like that. We're...just friends."

"But you're pregnant. Is he not the dad?" she pressed.

"It's extremely complicated. I'd rather not talk about it..." she said, remembering how sad the halfa looked when he'd found out she'd been raped. At the time, she'd been too filled with self-pity to care, but that didn't mean she hadn't caught glimpse of it.

The forgotten-named girl threw her hands up in defeat and asked instead, "So what are you in for? You can tell us, you know. We _all_ know each other's secrets in here, even Jenna!" She pointed over to the overweight girl who was just getting in her bed on a lower bunk. The top was empty, and Sam assumed that was where she would be sleeping.

"Please, don't waste your time on her, Amber... She's not gonna tell us. Not today, not tomorrow. She'll probably never make it out of here. Heck, she probably doesn't even have a fighting chance! Not against this place, at least. She'll never get through any of the therapies they do here, and she'll never speak what she wants to talk about most," Sandra declared.

Sam's eyes narrowed to slits as she she answered her crude comment. "I've been through more than you can even dream of! Ever thought that there's a reason I'm here? That I'm trying to get better?"

"Uh, yeah. For your baby. Der."

Partly true... "Why are you here, anyways? You said you guys don't keep secrets, so spill."

The overweight girl, Jenna, raised her hand politely and spoke first. "Well, I'm here because I felt bad about my weight. None of the guys would talk to me and none of the girls wanted to be my friend. I started cutting myself, and even though I hated it, I couldn't stop. But the good news is that ever since I joined Other Ways, I've lost alot of weight. Just still not there yet is all."

The forgotten-named girl, Amber, went next, "I'm here with my best friend, Sandra. We got into different predicaments, but we started cutting at the same time. I got backed into a corner and mugged. When I came to, I was at a hospital. Didn't really know where I was, though... They had me on so many anesthetics! I started cutting and convinced Sandra to come with me to Other Ways."

"And as for me," Sandra abruptly began, "...I was in a relationship with a guy, and...he started drugs. He went to dealers and all that crap, but by the time I mustered the courage to end the relationship, he'd beaten me to a pulp. I started cutting, and so I came here to stop. But I really came here because Amber wanted me to. Said it was good for me, and honestly, it has been. Now, we've shared everything we have to share with you. Why not give a little info on yourself? Even I'm curious to know that much."

She couldn't help but hesitating to answer. These girls had been here for awhile; they knew the ropes. But her? She'd been here all of twelve hours! She hadn't gone through any of the therapy they were talking about; that started first thing tomorrow. Today had been all about getting to know the people who stayed here and learning where the halls lead to. "I, uh...can't talk about it."

Everyone, even the nice Amber, groaned their dissatisfaction.

"C'mon, Samantha, it's okay to talk about stuff here. What goes on here stays here. That's rule number one in this room. And it's rule number one in everyone else's rooms, too. Besides, it's not healthy to hold things in," Amber persuaded.

Sam studied Amber for the first time. She had pretty long sand-colored hair that had absolutely no split ends. Her eyes were a lovely blue shade, but they were much lighter than Danny's eyes. She was short for a girl her age. Her face had a few pimples on it, along with freckles. She had perfectly straight teeth, save for one of her back molars that had been knocked out of place from an accident that involved monkey bars.

All Sandra had was one chipped tooth that made her look somewhat cuter than she was. Sam saw a demon in that girl, though.

And Jenna, the one who was overweight but apparently trying to get back into shape, had and outwardly curving figure along with an averagely pretty face. She was the oldest of the each of the four girls. Sam estimated she was in her early twenties. Her teeth weren't that straight but none of them were chipped or damaged or had any stains. They were as white as the stars as night, and shone like 'em, too. Her hair was curly all the way from the top down and it was a rich red color, which looked particularly good on her. Her brown eyes glinted with willpower and strength, two things Sam hoped to acquire while she stayed here.

Sam took a deep breath but felt her lungs collapse inside her. She could've sworn she could even feel the baby kicking furiously for even thinking about telling them. These girls were here because they didn't like the pain they were feeling. She only disliked the mental pain, but she liked the physical pain. She wondered if this place had changed them in that sense.

"Samantha, we're here to help. That's the reason they stick us in rooms together. So, let it all out. It'll feel so much better after you do," Amber tried.

Still not convinced and still reluctant, the goth merely told everyone the basics of herself, but not the reason she started cutting. "I'm a goth, and an ultra-recyclo-vegetarian. I don't eat anything meat or dairy. I don't believe in hunting for the sake of hunting. Instead, I firmly believe in animal rights. I'm also an individualist. And I'm independent."

Everyone looked around, wondering what to think of this new girl who was so young and yet all kinds of different things, not to mention pregnant. Eventually they had to settle for what she said, but only because they knew she wouldn't say more. However, they knew that if she didn't confess what happened, she would never get out of this place.

**A/N**

**Okay, okay...I'm so, so, so sorry! I don't have an excuse so much as a reason for delaying this update. Aside from waiting too long to even start writing this chapter, I had medical issues pop up, then I got a stomach bug right after I got over that, _then_ I got a cold my last day of the stomach flu. It's been a nonstop chain of sicknesses and make-up work. But I'm sorry about the story nonetheless. I shouldn't have waited as long as I did to start writing this chapter; if I hadn't waited, I'd have already updated.**

**New review quota will be, uh, I dunno...three hundred and nineteen (319) reviews? I dunno, pulled that number outta nowhere. **

**Sorry about this chappie's review replies, guys... I still have the remnants of the cold plus a killer headache, so I'm feeling up to it. I know you guys were looking forward to it, but I'll try to make up for it in the next chapter, okay? THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR GREAT AND MAGNIFICENT REVIEWS! **

**And please try to understand that this is extremely hard on me... If you have any questions whatsoever about the 'medical problems' I spoke of, please go to my profile and PM me about it. I'd be happy to tell you about it.**

**Anyway, hoped you liked the chapter, and I am once again so sorry for the slow update. I'll be sure to get started on the next chapter asap. Again, if you have any questions, please don't post them on my reviews, but send me a message, and I'll get to it when I can. Any questions concerning the story (or ideas concerning it), however, should be put on the reviews, where I can answer them in the review replies. **

**I know this chapter kinda sucked, but I thought it was good progress since I haven't been feeling very well. Anyway, no more excuses. Next chapter will be a living Hell for Sam. She'll hate it... *smiles mysteriously* I leave you to ponder these words. Have fun!**


	22. Chapter 22

~Chapter 22~

A loud alarm woke the exhausted goth from her nightmares. She was actually thankful for that. But she wasn't thankful that she'd only gotten a total of four hours of sleep last night, which would leave her all but dead today.

"C'mon, guys, we have to get moving... Long day today... So much work to do..." Jenna's yawning voice cooed to her roommates.

By some greater power, Sam forced her mind to start cranking its gears and her body to climb down the ladder of the bunk bed she'd slept on. Not surprisingly, she was very ready to fall off and curl up on the floor to continue sleeping. At least then her body would be well rested... Her mind, however, hadn't rested since...the incident. In the days that had passed since then, she'd been distracted and unfocused. She couldn't ever seem to keep her mind on one thing. Instead, her head always drowned in an ocean of memories and thoughts and worries. It was the one thing that scared her the most, being eaten alive every day. She was dying day after day and no one knew.

The girls got ready and headed off to separate rooms in the huge building. Sam looked down and watched someone else's feet carry her off to a fairly large bright white room. Someone else's hand shielded her eyes from the light. Normally, she would recognize her own body, but ever since the...incident...she felt like her body wasn't even hers anymore, as if it belonged to someone else. Was this what being possessed felt like?

She placed herself in a chair that formed a group of people. She was sure she had a good idea of what was to come next. They would ask her to talk. They would torture her with her own mind, forcing the words to come out by means of guilt and 'not healthy if you don't'. It would suck, basically.

"Hi, I'm Ryan." A boy stood momentarily, sat back down and proceeded to tell everyone why he started cutting. He was probably twice Sam's age, but that hadn't stopped him from coming here. "I was in a car accident and lost my girlfriend... It was pretty bad. There was a drunk driver and he hit us. I promised her it would be a good night..." His voice began to shake, and he refused to go any further. But it seemed to be good enough for the counselors who worked here.

The next three people, two girls and another boy, passed by refusing to say anything. They were each told, in turn, that if they didn't say anything, they would have to come back tomorrow and try again until they said something. Each looked away and tried to focus on a different object.

"Hey, I'm Jordan," a girl with black hair pulled up in a ponytail said as she stood, "and I watched my friends do drugs. It was horrible; they weren't themselves. I managed to convince only one of them to go to rehab but...the others wouldn't listen to me... Now I'm here and I don't know what's become of any of them!" The girl broke down in tears and the two people beside her tried to calm her down. They managed to get her only to stop sobbing, but the sniffling and tears continued.

Another girl, this time with brown hair pulled up in the same hairstyle of the classic ponytail, stood and introduced herself. "I'm Kenya. I got in with the wrong crowd in a bad neighborhood. I ended up getting stabbed four times. It was excruciating, but after I got out of the hospital, I started cutting myself... I don't even know why... I guess I was mad at myself for letting myself be so weak... I came here to get better."

"I'm Greg, and I used to deal drugs. I needed fast and easy money...but then I saw someone on the News. I recognized him as a regular customer of mine, and I felt really guilty. I stopped dealing, but started cutting because of the guilt."

The stories kept going on and on like this. This girl was abused, this guy was nearly killed...the list went on and on. None came even close to Sam's story, and when her turn came, she stood to introduce herself, but sat back down without another word. And when confronted by a counselor about her actions, she looked away just as the other three had and said, "I don't have the regular stuff you guys hear. I know everyone here has had their traumatic past moments to deal with, but I...I'm not talking about it. Ever." At these words, the staff looked at each other, shrugged, and moved on, unaware that she was telling the whole truth.

Sam knew that these people were lucky; they had it made in comparison to her. Here she was, carrying a rapist's child, and these people were sad or guilty over bumps in the road. Of all the stories she'd heard that day, hers was the worst by far. Now, it was true that each story had a meaning and was sad. But hers always seemed to be sadder, always seemed to be more powerful. But more importantly, hers was most definitely more unfair. She'd seemed to endure more pain and utter disgust than anyone who ever came here.

Even the next day, two newbies had arrived along with the other three people. Both newbies confessed, amazingly enough, and only two others. Georgia had a car accident and hurt her friend and the two people she hit. Virginia had her heart broken by her boyfriend. Robert was cheated on by his wife. Guy felt he was a bad parent to his four children, three of which were triplets. And Louise saw others cutting, and joined in with the crowd.

Then it came back to her. Her turn...again.

She stood and said, "I'm Sam, and I'm not really partial to this kind of therapy. I'll pass, and keep passing until you finally get me out of here."

"Sam, you can't go anywhere until you tell us why you started cutting. Then you can move on to step two. Until then, however, you'll just have to keep coming back here, even if it takes years. And believe me, we've had two patients take years to talk before," a counselor said. The serious look on her face told the goth she was for real.

"Yeah, well, I might just be your third. Besides, I'm..." her voice trailed off as she realized the perfect cover-up. "You know what, you're right. Let me start over. Hi, I'm Samantha. I started cutting because I got pregnant at the age of fifteen." There, that was believable, right?

"Thank you, Samantha. See? Don't you feel so much better now?" the counselor asked.

"Oh, yes. I think the therapy is working."

"That's lovely. Now, on to the next person."

Though she was officially free to leave now, and move to this mysterious 'step two', she chose to stay and listen to the others. She had no idea why, but maybe someone here had been in a situation at least somewhat similar to hers. Perhaps she could learn from them...

But alas, none of them were. Stories mainly revolved around car accidents and friends or family. They didn't know what she was going through, and she didn't think anyone ever would. After all, who ever heard of a pregnant cutter? Still, she listened intently to each one, until there was one story that came close to similar to hers. It was from a girl named June.

"Hey, I'm June." The brunette stood, but quickly sat back down, as if timid. "I, uh...I wasn't ready to have an intimate relationship with my boyfriend, but...well, let's just say he was. He was ready to break up with me, so we...we got a little more intimate with each other. I felt so slimy, as if I'd cheated. So I kept cutting myself to dull the pain. But then I cut deeper and deeper, and more and more... My friend actually saw an ad for this place and suggested I come here, so I did, and now here I am."

Sam felt like this girl was a girl she could relate to more than anyone else here, but her story was still...off. It wasn't like hers, and she didn't know why she felt any such connection to her. This girl was a newbie, and wasn't even in her room. Actually, her room was full. There were no more beds left. Maybe she felt the connection because this girl felt slimy, like her. After two rapes, she felt slimier than ever before, and the feeling hadn't been blunted.

She led herself back to her room, where none of the other girls had returned yet. They were all in higher-ranked therapies, the harder stuff. They'd been here longer, had passed step one. She'd just passed it as well, but didn't know how many steps there were to go. Danny had the pamphlet, but hadn't told her anything before he'd left. She quickly got lonely and started missing him. Furthermore, she didn't even have her switchblade to keep her company. Man, that switchblade had felt painfully sweet... She wished she had it right about now; just one slit would be a welcome departure from this...this..._nothing_. It would provide some form of comfort, something she desperately wanted and needed right now. That was probably why they put the girls in rooms together, for support and comfort.

It wasn't enough for Sam. The vegan needed her friends, wanted her family. But now she was alone. Utterly and disgustedly alone. Life no longer made sense to her... It had let her be born into a filthy rich family, rolling in green stuff. It had let her meet Tucker and Danny, the greatest of friends any girl could ever hope to wish for. But then it had done the worst of the worst to her. Death would have been a much better option than what Life had done. In fact, she'd much rather have died.

"That's not true..." she mumbled quietly to herself. "If I'd died, I wouldn't have been able to see Danny again...and he would be more heartbroken than he is now." Was she really so lonely she was talking to herself?

The door opened and a tired, sweaty, and rather stinky Jenna stumbled inside. "Hey, girl. What's up?" she greeted breathlessly.

"Woah...what happened to you?" the goth returned.

Jenna gasped and answered, "Exercise. Lots of it. So tired. So sore. So stinky." Then the girl cracked up and pointed at Sam. "I'm just kidding! You can't always fall for acts here, Samantha. And trust me, this facility is full of them."

Would, by any chance, this girl be mad if she found out what happened to her? Could Sam truly confess what happened just to stop cutting? No, the goth mused, she wouldn't dare put herself through that kind of pain. It was reliving the terror that had traumatized her! And in all honesty, who would _want_ to relive that event? Besides, she figured she would eventually sleep talk or something and they would find out on their own. Or not at all. Not at all would be nice. Not at all would be really nice.

"What step are you in, anyway? I just got past step one."

Jenna glanced up, then back at Sam, as if mulling over the question. Was it some kind of rule not to tell people? "Well, I came here because I was upset about my weight, so I go to an exercise room every day. But my kind of therapy is different from what you have, so it won't matter even if I do tell you. I'm in 'weight therapy'. It deals with eating and weight and such. Most people go to 'depression therapy', which is probably what you're in, right?"

"I dunno. I went into this big white room and they told me to talk so I did." Yeah, she lied. Now she'd have twice the guilt once she got out of here. Way to go, Sam.

"What'd ya tell 'em?" she giggled. "Don't worry, I know you lied. I lied my first time, too. But then I came to realize that people here were alot like family-you have to put up with them."

"I told them I started cutting because I got pregnant at fifteen."

"Fifteen? I thought you might have been older than you looked, like...I dunno...eighteen?"

The goth sighed and shook her head. Nice knowing she'd just lost all hope of making a good first impression on the nicest and most experienced girl here. "No."

"Well...who's the father?" she continued, trying to add wood to the fire.

What what she supposed to say? That the father was a rapist? Or that the the father was the infamous Danny Phantom himself? One would lead to the revealing of her secret, while the other would lead straight to disaster. She had to answer right now, otherwise it would seem suspicious that she was staying so quiet at such an 'easy' question. "Oh, uh, he's just a friend now. We keep in touch, though."

"Sounds mysterious. What's his name?"

Oh crap. "Dash!" She'd blurted out the first male name that came to her mind. Danny always talked about how badly Dash treated him, so of course it was going to be Dash! But seriously, she'd rather it have been Tucker...or...or..._anyone_ else. Even Kwan would've been better than Danny's mortal enemy. Heck, the Box Ghost would've been better!

"Oh. Sounds tough."

"You don't know the half of it..." she mumbled, recalling Danny's complaints about him. Along with the complaints came his ghastly revenge. Even though she discouraged its usage, she still thought it was kind of humorous. It made her lips curve upward just slightly enough to be noticed by Jenna.

"I'm guessing he broke up with you?" she said, snapping Sam out of her trance.

"O-Oh, yeah, he did." The goth figured that if she just went along with whatever Jenna flung at her, the girl would eventually be satisfied and stop asking questions.

"Was it because of the baby?"

"Well, he never was very good at commitments."

"Oh, man, I'm so sorry. You must be devastated..."

"Not really. I mean, I've come to terms with it, I guess. But we were on the road to a break-up anyway."

"What do you mean?"

Darn. Now she had to quickly come up with another excuse. And then she had to remember it so suspicion wouldn't grow if the other girls started asking the same questions. "Well...he made bad grades and I felt he didn't treat me with enough respect. We constantly argued and stuff, so...we kinda grew apart."

"Well, it's good that you've accepted it, at least. Other girls get pregnant and the guys leave them just because they don't want the responsibility of the baby."

"This guy didn't know about the baby, so it's fine."

Jenna remained silent. In her mind, this girl was hiding something. She obviously didn't want to talk about it, otherwise she wouldn't have created such an elaborate story to cover it up. She knew that if she could get this girl to spill the beans, Sam would feel much better after doing so. So she pressed on. "You're not telling me the truth, are you?"

The vegan evened her gaze and replied, "No, no, I'm telling the truth."

"You'll only have regrets if you don't tell someone. Doesn't have to be me, but I'm just saying..." Jenna let her voice trail off, in hopes that her words could sink in.

Fine then. She wanted the truth, she would get the truth. Or...sorta the truth. "Alright. Ever heard of that ghost boy, Invis-O-Bill?"

"Who hasn't?"

"He's the dad. Happy now?"

Jenna stood there, gawking at the young teenager. Even she couldn't fathom how a girl like her had gotten hooked up with Invis-O-Bill. It was even harder to understand how she'd gotten pregnant!

"Try not to tell anyone, okay? I don't like the attention," Sam told her. In a way, it was true. She didn't like getting the 'oh she's pregnant' attention that it seemed so many people had to offer.

* * *

Sam pulled off her clothes and put on her pajamas as the nightly replacement. They sickened her, actually... Her belly had grown more than she'd noticed, and these stupid things weren't exactly slimming. In fact, the shirt and pants hugged her abdomen in a PJ-comfortable way, making her belly bump even bigger. It looked like she'd put on another twenty pounds! Scratch that, it looked like she'd put on another _month_...

Once all the girls were snugly tucked away in their beds, the goth heard a voice call out her name. It was undoubtedly Danny's. "Hey, Sam," it whispered softly. As he materialized in the little space above her, two glowing green eyes shot shivers down her spine.

"Danny," she whispered back, trying to hide her delight, "what are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing."

"I'm fine." Thank God it was dark, save for his eyes. Her blush would've blown everything she'd kept secret for years. Well, maybe it would've...Danny was always so oblivious. "Plan on having a sleepover?"

Through the light of his neon eyes, she saw his smirk. "Maybe, if I don't get pummeled first."

"What is that supposed to mean? I'm not violent!" she hissed. Nevertheless, Sam moved over and tried her best to make room for him in the bed despite the little amount of room she'd have left.

And he didn't hesitate at all to snuggle up with her. She didn't dare oppose it; she liked the comfort of feeling his warm body next to hers. She felt more safe and secure that way. It was a good feeling, one that she never wanted to go away. The nightmares would persist, she knew, but she missed those times when Danny was nuts and held her as such during the night, as if he knew she was having the nightmares. Almost like he was attempting to stop them...

Bottom line, though, was that she wished he would do it again. Even once would be nice. But she didn't know if he remembered that much of everything that had hap...pened? What was she doing? It was almost on pure instinct, like she couldn't control it! Her arms were moving his arms over her body, forming the hugging position that she so desperately desired. Danny might've been asleep at the time, because he didn't object to it even once during the night.

"Goodnight, Danny."

**A/N**

**Okey-dokey. So, uh, yeah. Writing chapters takes awhile, doesn't it? Anyway, sorry about the wait. I was still recovering from two sicknesses, then I got hit with a TON of writers' block! I swear I'll do my best to try to get the next chapter up by, uh...I dunno...next week? I just hope I can come through in the clutch!**

**OH! And also, those of you who found that they couldn't PM me, I found the problem. For some strange reason, my account had disabled PMs, but I re-enabled them, so PM away!**

**This story is getting harder and harder to write, mainly because the tension and problems are starting to build up between not just Sam, but Danny as well. So if you want to flame me for this chapter, go ahead. I probably deserve it... Just keep in mind that I really am trying to please you guys, and that I also have Bestia and at least five other stories that I'm working on. On top of that, for some unknown reason, I've been DRILLED with tests and chapter reviews lately! *sighs* Chapter reviews are just like tests except they cover only one chapter...AND EVERYTHING IN ONE CHAPTER! (sorry, had to rant a bit there)**

**New quota of reviews will be...eh, heck with it! You guys waited long enough, haven't you? Review quota is not needed this chapter, so if you don't want to review, you don't have to. Although reviews would be quite nice. (just a motivator)**

**Alright, so I know you guys are expecting your review replies, as I do in every chapter I can. Well, I'm proud to say that in this chapter, unlike the last one, I will answer your reviews! So give a round of applause for those who reviewed and, naturally, here are you guys' replies:**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-Yes, well, group therapy is a living Hell for Sam, considering that she isn't exactly a people person. Relax and trust the author; that rapist WILL get what's coming to him. I give you my word.**

**_Codiak_-Ah, yeah, I've taken care of the problem. The PMs are now enabled, so feel free to PM me about stuff. Like I said in the previous chapter, I'll tell you about the medical issues only if you want to know.**

**_aras the crazy writer_-There's not just one therapist in this facility, as you've just now witnessed. Or...read. You get the point. Bottom line is, there are plenty of people here to take care of Sam and her problems. The only question now is: will she LET them take care of it? A mystery... Yeah, it does. But I still feel bad that you guys had to wait so freaking long for the last chapter... Kinda like I've failed you as an author. T.T**

**_Kpfan72491_-Why, thank you!**

**_lpwriter4life_-How'd you forget that? lolz! Actually, I don't blame ya. I wasn't exactly exaggerating Sam's pregnancy throughout the story, so alot of readers probably forgot. Glad you do! In fact, you're the first to mention the others' personalities! *confetti bomb hits you* Oh sorry! I swear, that was an accident!**

**_dannyphantom4ever_-lolz, thanks! Never quite got a review like that before!**

**_xsugarxblossomx_-Hm...you seem like the type who'll think of a bunch of different ideas for another author's story. I might be wrong, but that's just my opinion from what I've read of your reviews in the past. Anyway, just be mindful that I can be very unpredictable with my stories. There can be no twists at all, or a million twists at once. Like Danny going crazy, for instance. BIG twist. (I actually hadn't even planned that one! XD) I like to make sure that people think the story is most certainly going to go one way, and then I make it turn down a completely different path. My point is, you never want to get your hopes up with me. Just let me do the work, and I'll let you enjoy the ride, okay? lolz, I sound funny, don't I?**

**_just a random girl_-I thought the cheese part was cute, too, but no one else really mentioned it, so...yeah. Thanks, and I will! lolz, it's my obligation as an author.**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-Lookie who got a new avatar! As much as I agree with the girls, I also need to stick to the reason Sam doesn't want to speak about it. It's important to remember that rape is a very traumatic event in a girl's life. And to further it, she's now pregnant because of that man. So she's got pretty much every reason not to talk.**

**_fishy9494_-You guessed correctly, young padawan. (sorry if it's spelled wrong, not a Star Wars fan here) Well, you were right in the fact that Danny DID visit, but you were wrong in the fact that she'd spill the beans! Thanks! I like writing creatively!**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-Oh, believe me, I have undoubtedly had enough sickness for twenty years, let alone one winter! But don't fret; I only get sick like once every two or three years. So in a sense, it kinda felt refreshing to feel sick again. (after I got better, of course)**

**_The Silver Radio_-Nah, I've never seen it. Kinda strange that my story seems to relate to alot of movies though... I better do something about that, huh? Yeah, they suck, even more so when coupled with another illness. Didn't have a fever, though, so it was good for everything but my stomach.**

**_hunnybunny276198_-Thank you and I plan to! (technically just did)**

**_lilyt789_-Thanks! Ah, no problem! So long as no one's mad at me, I'm cool with it.**

**_Lilian S. Fenton_-Okay. Um...what is it?**

**_You don't to kno my name_-lolz, thanks! Epic stories rock!**

**_Gracie407_-XD Yeah, seems like alot of people are! I'm feeling just about back to normal again! I'm feeling so good that I hope to go roller skating sometime! Won't that be nice? **

**_I am me_-Thanks! And thanks again! **

***fiddles with fingers* Okay, I really hope those replies make up for last chapter... **

**And also, there's one fellow author who really inspired me to continue writing at all, and to write much better, AND to try my best to learn from other authors that are better than me. That author, though he or she may not be very popular, was kind enough to review this story last chapter, but I was so sick I couldn't give him/her a reply...or any of you for that matter. Anyway, this author is truly a great author and I hope you visit his/her profile and read his/her stories! Please give a MASSIVE thanks to _Quill N. Inque_! Without him/her, I promise you that this story wouldn't have existed in the first place, because I had lost all my confidence in my abilities as an author...until I read _Quill N. Inque_'s Teen Titans fanfic, Rise of the Beast. I was immediately captured by the sheer amount of detail he/she put into that story! So, as an act of gratitude, I would like all of you to look up the Danny Phantom fanfic, Shatterglass, written by _Quill N. Inque_. THANK YOU, _QUILL N. INQUE_!**


	23. Chapter 23

~Chapter 23~

Sam sat up abruptly as the alarm sounded, waking all the girls and boys from their slumber. She looked for him, but Danny was gone. He had probably left sometime during the middle of the night, she assumed. Guys were so predictable... But in a way, she was glad he'd left. She couldn't be seen with a ghost boy, after all. And besides, his identity could've been at risk. Well...come to think of it, no it wouldn't. He could just turn invisible and fly out. Man, what she'd give to turn invisible at a time like this...

She listened groggily to the routine groans and moans that sounded throughout the room. There were a few yawns mixed in, and one of those yawns was hers. She wasn't exactly feeling up-to-it today. Sam's stomach was protruding, a small, hard mass poking out. To her, it was extremely noticeable, but to others, it wasn't anything more than a little belly fat. She sighed, knowing she was being overly paranoid about her pregnancy. But, hey, she was the one enduring all this crap! She had a right.

The vegetarian got ready and pulled out the map of the building before she used it to find her way to her next destination. The destination of 'step two'.

She arrived in front of a smaller room. A much smaller room. It could hold plenty of people, but only if they were squashed together like sardines in a can.

Sighing heavily, she entered it. There were two speakers placed directly in the corners and there was what she made out to be a microphone on the ceiling. Weird... There was no camera or anything watching her. No one was in the room except for her. A stuffed teddy bear, one that had quite obviously been stitched up about a thousand times over, sat on a small wooden stool in the middle of the little room.

"So, uh...am I supposed to hit this thing or talk to it or what?" she asked the ceiling microphone.

There was a short pause and then, "You are allowed to do whatever you want with it."

Yeah, that helped. Meaning if she wanted to snuggle with it or scream into it, she could. And no one was watching. But they were listening. Hm...this was probably step two. But what was she supposed to do with a teddy bear? An innocent little child's play toy? Beat the living snot out of it? Well, actually that sounded pretty good right now. But for real... Was this some kind of therapy? ...Duh. Of course it was! This was a rehab clinic, after all.

She reached out and flicked the brown bear. It fell over.

"There, is that good enough? I beat it," she yelled to the microphone in the ceiling.

"No," it replied, "Pushing it off the stool isn't good enough. Turn your rage toward it. Pretend it's the horrible object that made you miserable."

Normally she'd have protested against 'miserable', but it was true. She'd been pretty miserable for the longest of times. And she was sick of it. But still, this was absurd. It was a stuffed teddy bear, a child's plaything. What was she supposed to do, have a tea party?

She sat on the stool and looked down at the little bear.

"Uh... Hello, bear. Uh... How ya doing? ...I can't believe I'm talking to this thing..." she grumbled.

After a few minutes, she swore she felt the baby kick her. Looking down at her stomach, which she still thought was noticeably showing, she imagined a little moving bump where the baby had kicked her. It was so easy to simply stare in awe. For the first time it really felt like there was a little life in there. And she felt it. She _felt_ it!

She wanted to see it, but she never had gone to an ultrasound before. Come to think of it, hadn't they told her they had scheduled an appointment for her today? **(Mid-story A/N: I just threw this in without thinking but it was a good line so I'm keeping it. Nowhere else in the story does it say that she had an ultrasound today.)**

And speaking of which...

"Oh, um, Ms. Samantha, you have an ultrasound you're supposed to go to. There's an ultrasound room and a specialist in the facility. It's on the first floor and it'll be in the medical area. It'll have a sign on it so you'll be able to find it easily. You're dismissed," the speaker said.

She wasted no time in rushing up to the door and setting myself free. She used the stairs to go down because she'd always hated waiting for elevators. The medical area wasn't too far from the stairs at all. As soon as you got off the stairs, you took a left and you were in it.

She searched for the sign the person on the other side of the speaker was talking about. It was all the way at the end of the hall. _Very_ convenient if you happen to go into labor here...

The sign said "Ultrasounds and Audiography". She had no idea what audiography was but she saw 'ultrasounds' and knew she was at the right place.

She let herself in.

It wasn't a huge room, just big enough to hold about five or six people. The only doctor she saw there was a female doctor. She hoped this doctor was going to be her doctor. Male doctors just couldn't understand it, but girls were girls and all girls understood one another.

"Um, I'm Samantha Manson. I'm here for my ultrasound," she said to the doctor.

The doctor turned from her computer and greeted Sam. "Welcome to my office. Just lay on that bed and try to make yourself comfortable. Do you know how far along you are?"

She pulled up a new page on her computer and waited for Sam's answer.

"I'm about three and a half months," she replied.

"Oh, wow. Just entered your second trimester, huh?" The doctor typed something in on her computer. "And have you felt anything you feel is out of the ordinary?"

Sam liked how she took her work so seriously, yet was kind at the same time. "I dont think so."

More typing and another question. "Have you been cutting in areas around your stomach?"

"Not very deep."

"Okay. And is there anything else you want to tell me before we get started?"

"Well, I finally felt it kick me today," she answered proudly. "That has to be a good sign."

The doctor was smiling at her, but had a confused look on her face. She turned back to her computer for a second, and then asked, "You said you were about three and a half months, right?"

Sam nodded.

"Are you sure you felt it kick? The baby? It wasn't anything else?" She put a strong emphasis on 'anything'.

"Is that bad?" the girl asked.

"Okay, why don't you just lay down and we'll see how the baby's doing," the doctor instructed.

Wait...what about her question? Sam didn't read too much into it. The doctor knew what she was doing. They said she was a specialist. She lay down on the bed and squirmed a little to get as comfortable as one could on an ultrasound bed.

"Alright, you can call me Dr. Macy. This might feel a little cold, but you'll get used to it once I start rubbing it in, okay?"

Sam nodded. Little did she know Danny knew about the appointment and was watching her from the ceiling.

Dr. Macy pulled up Sam's shirt just enough to show her entire tummy. She grabbed a nearby bottle and started squirting some on her lower belly. The doctor was right, this stuff _was _cold. Dr. Macy took what looked like a little buttonless remote attached to a cord and started smearing the gel over her abdomen. The little remote thing rested over the spot right below her belly button for a second while the doctor looked at the monitor in front of and above Sam. The picture on the monitor looked like two butt cheeks. Then one of them move a little.

"Oh, wow. It kicked again," Sam told the doctor.

Dr. Macy didn't respond. She had a serious look on her face and moved the remote around, searching for the baby. She moved it lower and smiled.

"Well, well, look at what we have here. You ever had an ultrasound before?" she asked.

"No, this is my first one. Why?"

"Because if you had one before," Dr. Macy said, "then you would know that you're having twins."

Sam sat up immediately. "WHAT?"

"Congratualtions!" Dr. Macy smiled gently, like a mother smiles at her child.

"Oh my God..." she whispered.

"What you felt wasn't actually one of the babies kicking. In fact, it's too early to feel them yet. One of the twins probably turned and pushed the other one into your uteral wall," she explained. "At around four and half to five months, you should be able to feel them kicking and moving."

"Can I go now?" Sam grumbled.

"Certainly."

Sam got up, wiped her stomach off with the hand towel Dr. Macy gave her, and walked out the door. Once out, she leaned against the wall. "There's no way this is happening," she told herself.

* * *

"Hey, Samantha. Did you get past step two?" Amber asked when she got inside the room. Sandra and Jenna weren't here yet, they were still doing their own therapies.

Sam knew she could talk to Amber, if no one else. Amber and Jenna. But DEFINITELY not Sandra! God, she hated Sandra. Yeah, her story was sad, but she acted like nobody else was suffering like her. Everyone here had a heavy story to go along with their cutting reasons. But Sam just wasn't prepared to talk about hers. At least not yet.

"I'm having twins..." she groaned.

Amber's expression dulled. "Oh, geez... I'm so sorry."

She was glad no one else was in the room at the time. Amber wasn't usually one to gossip about the big stuff. Little things, like so-and-so are dating kind of things, were fine. But the big things, like pregnancies and mysterious pasts, weren't something she would ever say to anyone unless that person asked her to.

It was already bad enough she had to get pregnant, but now twins? Why her? Why not some other girl who wanted twins? ...Well, actually Sam wanted twins, but only when she got out of school, got a job, got married, and if they were born to her husband. No, instead everything was exactly the opposite. Was she out of school? No. Did she have a job? No. Was she married? No. Was she even old enough to get married? No. And to make matters that much worse, her children were going to be born to a rapist that almost killed her, and then actually _succeeded_ in raping her for a second time, as if he thought she hadn't already gone through enough.

"Well, maybe being a mom won't be so bad," Amber said, attempting to lighten her mood. "I mean, little kids act so cute! And they say twins often have the same dream when they're sleeping. Isn't that cool? Oh, and you get to watch them play at the park, and you get to join their tea parties if one of them is a girl. Plus you get to share ice cream together and make good memories with them."

She had a good point there, but Sam wasn't ready for kids. She was depressed about it if anything.

"I know you're trying to make me feel better, but I'm not ready to raise a child, let alone two children," she replied.

"I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think. You probably just have to get used to it is all. My mom once told me that being a mother isn't easy, but it's very rewarding," Amber said.

"Rewarding how?"

"Uh, I don't know. My mom just said you have to experience it to know what it means."

Done with the conversation, Sam began on a different subject by asking how Amber's day went. The sandy-haired girl didn't have much to tell. But it was fine because after she was done with what she had to say, Sandra walked in.

Sam didn't want to talk to Sandra. She was too exhausting. And she insulted people too much. That girl was just messed up...

"Hey, Amber. Hey, Samantha..." The way Sandra said Sam's name was enough to make anyone angry. It was cold and aggrivating.

The goth did nothing. She just climbed her ladder and got into bed, rolling over so she wouldn't have to see Sandra's face.

"So, how did your ultrasound go?" Sandra asked in mock curiosity.

"How do even know about my ultrasound?"

"Saw you walk into the doctor's room."

"Well quit snooping. Nobody likes it."

Sandra couldn't think up of a clever comeback, so she just snorted and sat on her bed.

Not long after Sandra came in, Jenna came in.

"Hey, guys. I lost five pounds this week!" she said gleefully.

Everyone, including Sam, said their congratulations.

But the goth was tired from today's events. She stopped listening to the girls' conversations and drifted off.

* * *

"Hey, Sam." A whispering voice woke the tired goth up.

"Shut up, Sandra. I'm not in the mood for your crap," she mumbled groggily.

She heard a laugh. "Sam, will you please open your eyes?"

She groaned, but opened them anyway. It was Danny, a huge smile plastered on his face from when he had laughed. It was also there because he was happy to see her. He had missed her.

"Oh, hey, Danny. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Who is Sandra?" Just like a guy to answer a question with a question...

"Oh, just some girl who keeps giving me a bunch of crap."

Jenna woke up and overheard some of their conversation. Only the part about Sandra, though. Instead of intruding, she decided to listen, because that's what girls do best.

"Danny, I have some bad news. I had my ultrasound today. I'm having twins," the individualist said, thinking she was breaking the ice.

"I know."

She sighed. "Why do you keep watching me like that? Oh, whatever. You're okay with twins?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's not your fault."

"Yeah right. I should've just taken the path that was bustling with people. Maybe then I wouldn't be pregant right now. And then I wouldn't be here either."

"Sam, I swear I wish it'd been me and not you."

"No you don't, Danny. You know rape is painful. You know because you found me like I was. And then the second time was even worse!" Tears started cascading down her cheeks.

It killed Danny to see her like this, in so much unbearable pain. None of it should've happened to her. It wasn't fair. Now she was convinced it was all her fault just because she didn't know she was going to be raped.

"Sam, I've actually been wanting to ask you this only to clear something up. The second time you were...you know, hurt, I found you unconscious. You had blood running down your forehead. What exactly happened to you?"

Jenna kept listening even though she really didn't want to anymore. She already felt bad enough for the poor girl, and had actually believed she had gotten pregnant with a superhero's child of her own will. Now she was believing Sam had lied to her because she didn't want to remember what happened. Already her story was beginning to sound worse than anyone else's. Bearing the child of a rapist...no, the twins of a rapist... Jenna had to fight to hold back her tears.

"Danny, I don't want to talk about that. Ever. You already know what happened, what he did to me."

"I know you don't want to, but I really need to know. And you were unconscious; last time you weren't. So obviously something was different about this time."

"Ya think? I had a gag on my face!" she hissed at him. "My wrists were tied up!"

"Okay, I know that part, but why were you unconscious? I've really been worried about that, Sam."

"Ugh... Why are trying to make remember that sort of thing?"

"Because I _have_ to know what he did to you. Everything he did to you."

Sam frowned and shook her head. New tears began leaving fresh trails on her face. It wasn't easy for the halfa to watch. It would be even harder to listen.

"He gagged me with a really strong cloth and then tied my wrists behind me so I couldn't get away."

Oh, Danny knew the cloths were strong. It was such a pain getting them off of her! But he would do anything for her, so he really didn't mind it.

"Then he pushed me down, used a knife to cut off all my clothes, and started...you know..."

"It's okay, you don't have to describe that part. Just tell me why you were unconscious. That's what I want to know most."

"After he was done he said he didn't want me to remember his face. He punched really hard on the place right above my forehead. And then the next thing I know I'm in your room. But I don't remember how I got there. I don't remember what happened after he hit me, Danny, I'm so sorry." Her voice cracked when she said she was sorry.

"It's okay, Sam, it's not your fault, it's his. Do you remember what he looked like?"

"No, I don't remember anything but the beginning. Everything after that was a blur and then nothing at all. I can't remember anything, Danny! I'm sorry, I don't know!"

"Sam, relax, it's alright. You're safe now. Look, I'm here with you. I'm here, and I'm not going to let him hurt you again. It's his fault you don't remember because when he hit you he knocked you out."

No wonder Samantha hadn't wanted to talk about it. It sounded gruesome and it put disgusting images in Jenna's head. It explained why she acted so secretive about the reason she was here. Samantha would never talk about this, to anyone. The way it sounded, the only reason Danny was an exception was because he found her after her rape. Danny was the only one she trusted with her secret. And, as Jenna started figuring out, Danny was covering for her as the twins' dad. And maybe it was just her, but it sounded alot like he cared deeply for her, more than just a friend.

**A/N**

**Oh, man. Okay, I have NO excuses nor reasons for taking freaking long to update! It's been months and you guys SO did not deserve to wait that long! I'm really sorry!**

**Because I took way longer than I should've to update, there is, once more, no review quota. Review at your own will.**

**I swear I really tried to make this chapter good, so if it was crappy, I'm sorry. I also tried to get to just the right place to stop at. And I was going to make Jenna find out later (it was going to be Jenna to find out no matter what) but I felt guilty for making you wait so I thought I'd put it in earlier. Only problem with that is, I know I'm going to regret this later. :P**

**Okay, so you guys have DEFINITELY earned review replies. And you guys deserve them for waiting so patiently for this chapter. So here they are!**

**_lpwriter4life_-Haha! Well, yeah, Jenna's a problem now. Sam doesn't want anyone to know what happened, and she doesn't know that Jenna woke in the middle of the night. She also probably didn't appreciate being woken up just to end up crying.**

**_KP100_-M'kay, I'll look it up sometime, but for now, I have lots of angry people waiting for updates NOW, so I gotta get busy! :D**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-Yeah, speaking up about stuff like that would be heartbreaking to read. Oh, don't you worry, THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Danny will PERSONALLY make sure of that.**

**_fishy9494_-Um, pretty sure coughs don't work on the computer. Anyway, Danny doesn't want to say much to her about the rape. He knows it brings up memories and he knows it hurts her. So (this chapter as an exception) he stays away from that topic most of the time. Oh, yeah, I completely forgot about him. I guess maybe I could let him visit, but I don't want the girls telling him much.**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_-I'll just let you find out for yourself. You know, cuz I'm evil.**

**_Phantomgirl96_-Being sick sucks. lolz**

**_Codiak_-Yesh! PMs are awesome! (but now I hardly have time for them... T_T)**

**_Gracie407_-Wow. You asked EVERYTHING that was going to be in this chapter. ...You're starting to scare me... O.o"**

**_Riverpebble_-XD What the heck! ROFL**

**_IsadoraKayStone_-You just found out. :P And if you're wondering, no, she did not pass step two. It's not easy to look at a stuffed teddy bear and try to beat it up and stuff. Especially since the teddy bear isn't the rapist. DX Too bad, Sam would've loved beating the crap out of him!**

**_SinisterSircusQueen_-I PROMISE I WILL NEVER ABONDON THIS STORY. But even when it's done, I plan on making an epilogue, just to start you off on the sequel.**

**_Riverpebble_-No worries, I'll try to update more often, promise.**

**_just a random girl_-I sure hope so! I thought maybe I was going too far by introducing new characters. (you know how most of THOSE stories are...)**

**_Jaded Jimmie_-Now (as in, when I updated this), it's 351! It still amazes me that THIS story, of all stories, got so many reviews! I'm working on another story, too, that I think will have the same effect. 3 chapters and 44 revews! It's called Worst of the Best if you're interested. (it's a Naruto fanfic)**

**_The Silver Radio_-I HAD to end the last chapter cute! ;) Hard to write a romance-genre story without cuteness. (and yeah, there's alot of hurt/comfort, but it's a romance nonetheless) I know! Stupid French test... I still remember it! I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING! And it sucked because that week I was so sick I couldn't study much. D: I failed that test. But thank God I didn't have a re-take! Cuz I still would have failed! XD**

**_dancefan93_-Thanks!**

**_Inventor of ZADRF_-Ah, I don't like people pitying me, especially not for getting sick. Thanks for the concern, though. lol I like how you called her 'possessed'. She only likes it because it takes her mind off all the things that happened and lets her focus on the physical pain.**

**_Kpfan72491_-Thanks!**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-I was shocked and I wrote it. I was shocked that I wrote it! XD But originally, Sam was going to stop cutting on her own and she wasn't going to end up in the hospital. I decided that would be too boring.**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Yeah, they are. I wanted to make them a little less sad, but I needed to give them a reason for them to start cutting.**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-Eh...she sort of did. She just didn't know she was telling Jenna. She thought only she and Danny were awake at the time. Aw, I'm flattered you think my story is so good!**

**_Danny Phantom Phanatic_-I didn't update soon, but I let you keep reading it, so...is that good enough? Yes? No? I deserve to die for doing this to Sam? XD**

**_Dark Neko 4000_-:P You just found out!**

**_Piano_-Haha, thank you. I'm not really that good a writer. I'm striving to be like Quill N. Inque. THAT'S good writing! :D After seeing their Teen Titans story, I started one of my own but it wasn't nearly as good, then I got into Danny Phantom and tried my hand at that. They reviewed this story and said it was good! :D It's still not as good as their writing, but I'm trying to get better.**

**_DennieHamato_-Thanks!**

**_Anahbell_-I updated at long last and after a very long wait. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning this story, especially after so many people took the time out of their day to review so much and read this.**

**_phantomcat97_-I hope you do! :)**

**Thank you all for taking the time to review and again I'm eternally sorry for the unnecessary wait.**


	24. Chapter 24

~Chapter 24~

Sam woke up the next morning, earlier than usual. Her morning sickness had subsided a few weeks ago. Her cravings hadn't. Danny did not sleep next to her last night. She understood that he had to go home to a family that would otherwise be worried sick. There were also ghosts to fight. Then there was Valerie to avoid... And if his parents made a device that actually worked, he would have to act innocent. Disappearing all of a sudden could easily arouse suspicions. But at least he came to her whenever he got the chance. She couldn't help but wonder if he was skipping hangout time with Tucker, or if Tucker had been covering for him.

Unfortunately, Sandra, of all the girls, decided to wake up next. Jenna and Amber were still sleeping.

As soon as Sandra saw Sam's open eyes, she began her rude and naturally intrusive remarks.

"So," she started, "what is a pregnant girl like you doing up so early?"

"I just woke up. How should I know why?" Sam answered, trying to be as vague and simple as possible so her rival would shut up sooner.

"Hmph. Probably had to pee."

"If and when you get pregnant, _then_ you can have the right to insult me about this. Until then, I can tell you very truthfully that you have no idea what you're talking about."

It was true; while Sam was dealing with a bunch of pregnancy crap, Sandra had no idea what it felt like, and therefore couldn't relate to nor insult her pregnancy. This was a good advantage for Sam-it was one less thing Sandra could comment on. This made Sandra angry, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

Sam was too lazy to get out of bed just yet. Plus, she didn't want to go to step two. The good news was that she'd only have to go for today, because she had the perfect plan in mind. First, she would talk to the stuffed teddy bear about how she hated being pregnant so young, and how she wasn't ready to raise a kid yet. Then, she would fake cry, since there were no cameras to watch her. A few sobs and sniffles should seal the deal. She didn't want to overdo it.

Sandra brought her out of her thoughts. She had been glaring at Sam for the longest time, and now the goth just noticed it.

"What?" Sam asked, not all that curious to know.

"I can't understand why you would cut yourself just because you had a little fun with some guy. I got the pleasure of being beaten up by my drugged-up boyfriend, and all you had to go through was practically nothing in comparison! That said, what even gives you the right to be here?" Sandra replied.

The vegan blocked out the thoughts and memories that were trying to surface. The more she could block out for a longer time, hopefully she would one day forget about everything that happened, and she could finally act like it had never happened in the first place, that the twins were Danny's, that her life was as perfect as it could get with children in her life. Her feelings toward the twins were difficult to describe; part of her really loved them despite their biological father, yet another part hated that her future would be off-track because they existed. However, her feelings toward her rape and to her babies' father would never change; she hated it all, the pain, the suffering, the confusion, the sheer agony. Because of that man, she had no real direction in her life anymore. She didn't know what would become of her once the twins were born. And it was thanks to their dad that she would never know what would happen next.

"See? You're being quiet. You aren't answering me because you know you'll never have to go through what I went though. There's no worse pain than being beaten by the one you thought you loved," the girl pressed.

Sam wanted to yell, "HOW ABOUT BEING RAPED TWICE AND STUCK CARRYING THAT MAN'S TWINS?" but she didn't. Her soul was screaming it for her. The only difference was that it never came out her mouth. It never would. She planned to keep it that way. Danny knew, Danny cared, Danny was there for her. Sandra didn't know, Sandra wouldn't care, and Sandra would run like a coward if ever put in that position. Why couldn't Sandra be Danny?

"I guess you're right." No, she wasn't. "The father of my child never beat me." Yes, he did. "The father loves me." No, he absolutely doesn't. "He respects me." He would never respect her. "He would never even think of hurting me." He already had. "It's pretty much a perfect life." The life she would never have.

"If it's so perfect, don't go around acting so mysterious and secretive, like you're in some kind of horrible pain that won't go away. The rest of us have _real_ problems. You're just here for the attention," Sandra said.

Attention? She _wished_ that was it! If anything, Sandra was the one who had it easy! She and her boyfriend had grown apart thanks to his drug addiction, and she wanted to break to with him. Furthermore, at least she only took a beating once; Sam had to put up with true terror when she was almost killed, nothing but torture when he caught and raped her the first time, the sensation of being snapped in two during the second time, and then being made fun of for being that weak!

Sam was right about to climb down the bed and give that girl a piece of her mind when Danny's voice whispered beside her, "I'll handle this."

Danny materialized in front of Sandra, shocking the girl.

"You have quite the nerve, assuming she's got a perfect life. What she told you was the life she _wanted_ to have, not the one she has now," Danny said.

"Y-You're Invis-O-Bill..." was all Sandra could say.

"You're a real pain in the butt, you know that? Instead of trying to figure out Sam's past, you jumped straight to a conclusion, and that conclusion was the furthest thing from the truth! If only you knew what this girl has been through, what she's had to endure... Yet you still have the gall to say _you're_ the one suffering?"

"Danny, stop it! I don't want them to know," the goth reminded him.

The halfa turned to his friend and nodded. He wasn't about to give out any more information than he already had.

Amber then woke up from all the noise. Since she was on the bottom of her and Sandra's bunk bed, she couldn't see Danny, only a frighteningly shocked Sandra. She hoped the girl wasn't starting anything with Samantha... Samantha was already pregnant; she didn't need the extra stress.

Amber yawned, got out of bed, and walked straight to the bathroom without even taking notice that there was the all-too-famous ghost kid in the building. She was simply too sleepy to be aware of what was going on at the moment.

Figuring he'd gotten to Sandra, and that Sam didn't need to stay in the tense moment any longer, Danny carefully picked Sam up. The goth didn't seem to object much to this action; she probably already wanted out. Danny first made sure the individualist wasn't in a position that could harm the babies inside her. Once sure of this, he turned intangible and flew her up to the rooftop.

Once he set her down, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you were okay," he answered. "Last night you told me that Sandra girl was giving you crap, but I didn't know it was this bad. Sorry for what she said to you."

"Yeah, well, at least she doesn't know I'm having twins. It would've been much worse than normal pregnancies."

"Ah, Sam, don't be like that. Your pregnancy is normal."

"No, I meant the situation the babies are in. Most mothers have a husband beside them. Yeah, I wanted to have twins, but only if they were born to my husband and me, not some stranger who I don't even know. Even if that guy knew I was having his children, he wouldn't love them," the goth explained.

Danny kept his mouth shut for a moment, waiting to see if she had anything else to say. He knew Sam was going through so much at a young age. He knew she was so confused about what to do now, and there wasn't much he could do for her to help. As much as he hated it, it was something she'd have to get through on her own. It would have been much nicer if she had a husband, like she wanted, and had kids with her husband and not the rapist. But it didn't turn out that way.

He morphed back into his original human form of Danny Fenton. The halfa let his eyes soften and he smiled gently. Danny kneeled down and put a hand over her baby bump, looking up at her as he did so.

"I know I'm not really the dad, and I'm not your husband, but I still love the twins. I want to help you raise them and I want to watch them grow. That's one reason I come over every time I can. I'm there for you, whether you want me to be or not." He took his hand off her belly and stood up, wondering if she would be mad at him for touching her.

Instead, she did something he never truly expected. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her, snuggling up to his shoulder. She felt the twins at least three times and wondered if they were excited about something.

"The babies are having a little party inside me," she joked.

Danny just smiled and returned her embrace.

* * *

Sam was now five and a half months along, although she looked exactly six months pregnant. But Dr. Macy had told her it was normal since she was having two babies instead of one. She didn't really have a choice but to listen to the doctor's judgment.

She had passed every step up until step eight. The stuffed bear plan had worked, and she managed to fool the people behind the speakers easily.

Step three had been using a stress ball until your hand cramped up, which Sam honestly didn't get the point of. She'd passed this step by breaking hers on purpose, just to see what was inside them. The counselors assumed she had 'just released all her bottled-up stress' by breaking it.

Step four was painting your feelings. The point of this step was to channel all the negative emotions into something healthier, something other than cutting.

Step five was yoga. The only reason she passed this step was because by the time she got to it, her belly had grown too large to do most of the exercises.

Step six was nothing more than an exercise program. Again, the point of this was to channel your emotions into something else. And again, Sam had passed it because of her pregnancy. Being pregnant meant she couldn't put too much strain on her body.

Step seven, the one she just recently passed, was mental disciplining. They had shown her a series of slideshows, which actually took about three whole weeks to do just because of all the 'learning' that needed to be done, that depicted something different each time a new picture came onto the screen. The audience was told whether it was good or bad. Personally, it was an easy step to pass, but it took a long time.

Now the pregnant goth was beginning to waddle. Her ankles were starting to swell, her back was starting to hurt, and she had become accustomed to resting her arms on her stomach, even though they usually slid off. She had also noticed that if she looked straight down without bending over, she couldn't see her feet. Lovely thought... Speaking of lovely thoughts, another one would be how much she _weighed_! If you thought having one baby was bad, try having two. It was double the weight.

Sam made her way to step eight. This time, unlike the other steps, she was excited. She was excited because apparently her 'depression plan' had this step pegged as the last step. Even though she was the newest of the girls, she was going to be the first to leave. Well, after Jenna of course. Jenna had left exactly one month ago. Apparently, she had regained confidence in herself and had reached her goal weight of a hundred and twenty pounds. Now the only nice girl left was Amber. Sandra couldn't seem to stop being horrible, in spite of what Danny had said. It had only taken two days for her to revert back to her normal self. But she never again pushed the pregnancy thing nor the reasons Sam had come here. Instead it was all about how often her hair got messy, or how frequently she used the bathroom, or something else of that nature. Sandra knew the bathroom part was just part of being pregnant, so she didn't push her luck on that one too much.

Amber hadn't left yet but also hadn't told anyone when she would be leaving. Only that one day she would. The sandy-haired girl, when her friend had told her about seeing 'Invis-O-Bill' in the room and about him knowing Sam, simply laughed and said Sandra needed some more sleep. This meant she knew nothing about the goth's relationship with the halfa. Heck, she didn't even know he _was_ a halfa. Sam didn't really judge her on that, though. Only a handful of the ghosts in the ghost zone knew besides her and Tucker.

Once Sam entered the assigned room of step eight, she found her jaw dropping. Inside was like a normal room, only this room had a knife on the center of the table. Just from the looks of it, she knew what this was. They expected her to spend a day and a night in this room without touching the knife. It was probably the perfect final test. This would be the easiest test of all to pass, because Sam had lost her desire for a blade in her skin sometime after step three.

There was a camera right over the knife. If the knife moved, the camera would see it. Sam had no plans to move that knife anyway, so it didn't really matter to her.

She set her luggage down and began spending her time in the room.

**A/N**

**Yeah, this chapter is a little shorter than normal, but I wanted to stop it at the cliffhanger. :3 You all know how I can be... Also, fast(er) update! Fanfiction still isn't working properly for me, so I'm still tying to figure out what links to type in to get to these pages. (The only thing fanfiction will let me do is log in, after that I'll click on the side tabs and nothing happens.) So far, I only have the documents and the stories figured out. I have yet to find favorites or anything else for that matter. DO NOT TRY TO SEND ME LINKS, AS FANFICTION DOES NOT ALLOW WEBSITES (EVEN ITS OWN) TO BE SHOWN ON REVIEWS OR PMS.**

**Anyways, I guess this time will have a review quota. I'm requesting three hundred and eighty-five (385) reviews. After the slow update last chapter I doubt I can pull this off, but I'm going to see how this plays out. ;)**

**Ahem, may I have your attention please! Review replies will be guaranteed this chapter, so here they are:**

**_DennieHamato_- Woah, there. No need for harsh language. lolz. Yeah, twins was kinda shocking, huh?**

**_Codiak_- Sorry about that! Didn't mean to potentially kill anyone! Haha, yeah I was surprised I could regain enough interest in this story to update when I did. Ayup, twins. I'm sorry, but I just _had_ to do that to her! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**_MariaPhantom8998_- M'kay, thanks for the heads-up on that. I thought the last four numbers looked familiar... :) :( OH, WAIT WAIT WAIT! IF YOU KILL ME I CAN'T UPDATE! *pokes you with stick* Um, are you okay...?**

**_aslan333_- Thank you, and I will try my best to update sooner from now on.**

**_Kpfan72491_- Haha! I guess I kinda popped out of nowhere, huh? Thanks!**

**_IsadoraKayStone_- The teddy bear thing? Well, let's just say a good friend helped me out. (btw you're the only one who asked about that)**

**_CookiesxMilkEXCITEMe_- Okay, well, I'll leave you to it then.**

**_.93_- Thanks!**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_- Glad you aren't wanting to kill me for the update! XD O.o" Everyone else does... I actually would never have put twins in if I hadn't updated that EXACT day and time that I did. A minute longer and I'd have decided against it. Yap, taking your time to update is good...so long as you don't take THAT long.**

**_Gracie407_- I think you are and frankly, it scares me. o.o Uh-huh, a two-for-one. :P**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_- Hurray, I did! :D Um, yeah, I had waited such a long time I was afraid everyone had given up all hope. But I'll never abandon this story. I had hoped you guys would feel what she was feeling. I hate Sandra, too. I'm regretting ever putting her in this story... DX**

**_nuhnuhnuhniley4ever_- :D So glad you liked it! Oh, man, don't tell me YOU'RE psychic, too! *groan* Now I have to deal with two psychics!**

**_hahahippo_- Yeah, it's bad. I'm not killing off Sam or her twins, sorry. Sam is WAY too maternal to put them up for adoption. Watch "Life Lessons" and you'll know what I mean.**

**_KP100_- don't worry, I haven't died...yet. :P I'll be trying to update as regularly as possible.**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_- I'm pretty sure everybody hates Sandra, even me. After what I put Sam through already, it really shouldn't come as a shock, but I suppose it's better that way, huh? Well, worse for Sam, though.**

**_Titansgirl-otherstuff_- Now, now. Let's not try to make everyone else jealous. I'm trying to get to that part, but Sam fears intimacy. I can't just have her run to Danny asking for kisses. Oh, and what exactly are you hinting at? Ah, yeah, only best friends call their other best friend a jerk. Gotta love friendship! XD**

**_Inventor of ZADRF_- Hm, I don't see how it can be helpful if you hate it. Pity isn't the same as asparagus. lolz! Oooh, perfect timing! Yesh!**

**_Karla_- Haha, thanks! Wow, as soon as you read the TITLE? :D Sweet!**

**_YukiNightwish_- Cool, your fave? I'm honored! Nah, go ahead and scream. I kinda deserve it and plus, I no longer have alot on my plate. *grins sheepishly* You won't have to keep waiting long, because I MADE fanfiction sorta work for me. HA HA!**

**_Danny Phantom Phanatic_- I was meaning to make him sweet. Also went for caring, but I don't think anyone realizes it yet. Oh well.**


	25. Chapter 25

~Chapter 25~

Since Sam was five and a half months, she could feel the babies kicking and rolling around. It was extremely uncomfortable when one of them was pushed into her uteral wall, as Dr. Macy had told her. It was like a gigantic kick. To top it, the twins would often wake her up during the night. One of them, at the very least, seemed to be very rambunctious. It could be both of them, but poor Sam chose to believe it was only one. She didn't think she could handle _two_ hyper kids. Even with Danny and his family's help, if one of the twins had ADHD... Sam simply shook the thought out of her head.

Aside from bathroom breaks, the pregnant teen spent almost all day on the couch, watching TV. Daytime TV sucked...

One of the staff stopped by every now and then to bring her food, which had always been strictly vegetarian. She also had her prenatal vitamins and protein supplements brought to her. Being a vegan meant protein was hard to get by just eating vegetables and fruit, so she had to take daily supplements. Not that she minded much, so long as she didn't have to eat an animal. Just the thought of that was enough to make her shudder.

During her stay, there were, actually, a few occasions she had looked at the knife. But those were just looks and nothing more. She hoped the camera didn't mistake her looks for envy. It was the furthest thing from the truth. She had no desire for it whatsoever. She only looked at it because it was there, just like the ceiling and the carpet and the couch. She didn't know why she felt the need to look at everything in the room every so often; she assumed it was all part of being pregnant. Her hormones were probably making her both testy and nervous about her environment. But once Danny came to get her, she hoped that would all go away.

That night was about as eventful as the day had been. Nothing happened, other than the babies waking her up at least four times. Each time she woke, she got edgy and decided to observe the room. After assuring herself that both her and her unborn children were safe, she fell back asleep. Also during the night, no one dared disturb her. She figured it was because she _did_ get nervous, and someone being seen in the shadows would scare her.

For the fifth time, one or both of the twins moved and/or kicked. It woke her up. Immediately, she felt the urge to make sure she wasn't in any danger. She looked around, getting tired of the same routine every night. With the knowledge that she was safe, she instantly fell back asleep.

Next morning, the goth woke up with a huge yawn. She brushed her teeth and hair and got ready to leave after she washed her face and changed her clothes. The knife remained untouched as she sat on the couch, waiting patiently for someone, hopefully Danny, to come and get her out of this place.

It took two more hours before someone finally came and got her. It wasn't Danny, but one of the staff. He was a skinny, yet tall, man with a white T-shirt and jeans on. He looked pretty casual. But then, all the staff did.

The man led Sam out of the room to the front door, where freedom was just a few steps away. Through the doors she could see a car parked outside, waiting for her. It wasn't Danny's car, so she guessed they were going to bring her to the Fentons' household. Boy, they really did their research here... It was kinda creepy.

The car ride seemed to take forever. She couldn't wait to see Danny again. She hadn't seen him in at least a month. But it was fine with her. Even though she had missed him, she knew he couldn't afford to arouse too much suspicion, especially with his parents being 'professional' ghost-hunters. And especially with Valerie on the loose. She figured he had been laying low all this time, going to school, studying, not leaving home too much except to capture and return ghosts to the Ghost Zone.

After an hour and a half, the car finally stopped in front of the Fentons' house. No one came out to see what the car was doing parked in front of their home. Maybe they were in the lab, or maybe they weren't expecting her. She didn't know, she just wanted to get out of the car and run up to the front door. She wanted to see Danny and Maddie and Jack...and maybe Jazz.

The car unlocked and she flung open the door, dashing out as fast as she could without tripping over her own feet.

The car sped off, as if eager to get back to Other Ways. Sam was glad it was gone; now she was no longer affiliated in any way with that place.

To her surprise, the front door wasn't locked, and she opened it without needing a house key. Danny was the first one she saw. He was sitting on the couch in the living room watching a program on television when he saw her walk in, bags and all. The goth couldn't ignore the smile that painted his face when he registered who it was.

He ran up to her and delivered a bone-crushing hug.

Half choking, Sam gently pushed him off. "Woah there, big fella. You're going to squish the babies."

"Oh, sorry. I must've gotten a little carried away. I missed you," he said, not dropping his smile for an instant.

"Babies?" Jazz asked as she came downstairs.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. I'm having twins."

"Twins?" Danny's parents said had been in the lab and had come up to see what all the fuss was about.

Again, the goth nodded. "Uh-huh. They move around alot and like to wake me up. The doctor said you can feel them at six months. Only with me, you might be able to feel them right now."

Maddie was the first one on her knees, resting her head on Sam's stomach and waiting for one of the babies to kick. Not wanting to be rude, the vegan tolerated it.

One of the two moved in an awkward position, hurting Sam and making her gasp slightly.

"Oh! I felt it! I felt a kick!" Maddie squealed. She got up off the goth and tried not to make her feel uncomfortable, especially given what Danny had told them all.

"No, that wasn't a kick. One of the twins pushed the other one into my stomach," Sam corrected, not mentioning that it was beginning to hurt when they did that. It was like they were already fighting.

"Do you know what gender they are?" Danny asked.

Sam shook her head. "No. Dr. Macy said my next ultrasound would be in two weeks, and that's when we'll find out if they're boys or girls or one of both." A bump appeared on her stomach, and then disappeared just as quickly. "This is parental abuse."

Jack grinned and pulled his son into the kitchen. Danny hadn't even seen it coming, which made it all the funnier. Sam had just been deserted in the comments and questions that was his family.

"So, Danny, now that you know Sam is having twins, what are you going to do?" his dad asked.

"I'm going to help her raise them," the halfa answered truthfully.

He hoped Sam would let him stay at the hospital with her when the babies were born. Half of him wanted to stay in the room _while_ they were being born for Sam's sake, but the other half thought it was too gross to watch. Even still, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of decisions the goth would make in the maternity ward. He already knew Jazz and his parents wouldn't be allowed in, but him? What would he be doing while Sam was suffering the pains of childbirth?

"I just want to warn you, son, twins usually come earlier than nine months."

"What? Why? And how did you know that?" Did this mean the babies were in danger of premature birth?

"Well, twins grow at the same rate as a nine-month pregnancy. Since both of them share the same womb, the mother has to go into labor earlier so the children won't be crushed against each other."

"How much earlier?"

"Oh, it ranges from about two weeks to a month. But just be alert when Sam reaches eight months. She'll probably go into labor around that time," Jack finished as he walked back out of the kitchen to watch his wife orbit the goth.

Danny just sat there, not knowing whether to freak out or stay calm. Early labor? He had been expecting her to give birth eventually, but he figured it would be a full nine months! Now all of a sudden it was _early_? He knew why and understood it, but still..._early_?

"I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmother! I have to remember to thank Danny for the kids! Oh, and thank you, too, Sam! They wouldn't exist without you!" Maddie could be heard excitedly squealing.

Meanwhile, Danny couldn't believe he was going to be a father in around two months' time. Well, he wasn't the real father, but he had promised Sam he'd help bring up the children. He couldn't go back on it now. He _wasn't _going back on it now. If anything, this proved the pregnant teen needed him even more. He had promised to stay by her side, and he would. He wasn't going to let her be a single mother, especially not at fifteen years old. Despite the shock of an early delivery, he was going to help her.

The halfbreed walked into the living room, where poor Sam was still getting pounded with question after question. He figured she would be exhausted from not only a long car ride, but from the grilling she was receiving.

"What do you think the babies will be, two boys, two girls, or one of each?" Jazz asked.

It took a moment before Sam could answer; she had to think about it first. Come to think...she hadn't even asked herself what she wanted them to be yet. Two girls would be calmer and less rambunctious. Two boys would certainly be interesting to raise. A boy and a girl would be...um...well, she didn't really know how to explain it. The girl would probably be into girly things and fairies. The boy would be grossed out by that stuff. The boy would be more interested in war games and horror movies. The girl would get nightmares from such things. But then again, two of any gender might be bad because if they looked alike, she would never be able to tell them apart. With one boy and one girl, she wouldn't have that problem.

"I don't really know. I guess I'll just go along with whatever they turn out to be," she replied after much thought.

It was Danny who finally stepped in and saved her from the barrage.

"Okay, everyone, I think that's enough. Sam's had a long day. She probably just wants to relax now," he stated.

The halfa was absolutely right. Sam was tired and just wanted to rest. Maybe flop on the couch and settle down for a movie, or just curl up on Danny's bed and go to sleep. Either one would work, but getting comfy on the couch seemed like a better idea since she could both watch a movie and drift off. Only problem was, if she were to roll over, she would fall off. Dr. Macy told her she needed to be very careful about falling since it could seriously injure the twins. Also, she couldn't sleep on her back for the rest of her pregnancy. But the good news was, she didn't really move much in her sleep, and she always ended up on her side, even if she fell asleep on her back. She decided the couch was a better option.

Jazz went upstairs to get a book and Maddie and Jack went back down to the lab, which had alarms screaming like crazy. It wasn't a ghost, they never had alarms for them. Something must have gone critical in there, because knowing those two, they would have stayed right by her until the thrill of two babies wore off. Danny refused to go anywhere and sat on the couch beside her. He flipped on the television and purchased an upcoming comedy.

"Hope they didn't give you too much trouble," he said with a little chuckle.

"Nah, it was fine. They were just excited," she said. Boy, was that the truth!

The movie started, but sometime during the beginning, the goth had fallen asleep on Danny's shoulder. Not the he cared, he actually was thrilled to have her in this position. He literally didn't move a muscle, for fear of waking her up. As much as he wanted to lay his head on hers, he didn't. As much as he wanted to snuggle closer to her, he didn't. As much as he wanted to hold her, he didn't. He didn't know if it was the right time for her. She didn't exactly react well when he tried to kiss her, and she'd known and trusted him for years. Maybe now just wasn't the right time, maybe she needed to get over her fear first.

Danny could be as patient as it took. Anything, even his own life, was worth it for her. He wanted to make sure she was safe and happy above all else. The twins, too. He kind of felt like he was their real dad, being around them and their mother so much. He wanted to help her once they were born, and he knew she would have to take them to school with her unless she dropped out. He knew she didn't want to do that; despite her hatred for school, she wanted a high school diploma. It would be so much easier for her to get a job that way.

He was just worried about the man. What he came after Sam again? And if he did, what if he wasn't there to protect her? Sam wasn't going to let him follow her around everywhere all the time. Yes, she wanted to be protected, but she wanted her space as well. Unless the halfa was in the air, he wouldn't be able to see around the corners of the walls at school or when she was walking home. And he couldn't be in the air much because people would notice the unusual absence of Danny Fenton and the unusual constant presence of Danny Phantom. If it came down to a matter of his secret or Sam, he would definitely give up his secret. But if both could be kept safe, that could work better to his advantage.

He stopped thinking about it and enjoyed both the movie and Sam's company.

After Sam had settled back down in his house and the awkwardness of it all had worn off, Danny would go search for the man that had done this to Sam. Unfortunately, since the goth could provide no clues about the offender, it was too bad he had nowhere to start looking. When she was in Other Ways, he had repeatedly checked out the two places she had been raped at. The first place held nothing, and the second no better. The second place only had an almost unnoticeable blood stain from when he had knocked Sam out, and her torn clothes which could no longer be used. Anything else he might have been able to use was washed away by the rain, probably only to fall into a storm drain somewhere. He had tried, but somehow, even with all his ghost powers, that man had managed to elude him. He hoped that after awhile something might come back to the goth, some memory that she had forgotten, something that could help.

Sam didn't even know how crucial she was to this dangerous game of hide-and-seek. Nobody knew what this guy looked like. Sam was the only one as far as the halfa knew. The only problem was that she didn't _want_ to remember any of what happened. She wanted to forget all about the man and his actions. It was a shame she would never be able to...

**A/N**

**Okay, so I'm really sorry for the semi-late update. THIS time, though, I have a perfectly valid excuse. Several, actually. First and foremost, my brother was hogging the computer, and every time I waited to get on, something came up (like dishes, laundry, room-cleaning, bathroom-cleaning, or leaving to go somewhere). Then we had my baby sister's first birthday. I couldn't bring myself to get on and type when she was so excited over her balloons and gargantuan teddy bear! TOO CUTE! Then we went to Chatanooga, which was two hours away, and spent the whole day there. By the time we got back, I was too exhausted to type. On top of everything that had been happening so far, I've been trying so hard to memorize all three first sections in my driver's manual. That's right, I'm studying for my written test! :D Only setback is that I want to pass the written test the very first time I take it, so I'm studying so hard it often gives me the WORST brain fry! No typing after that... -_-" So much has been happening, so I haven't really had much time to write this. And you guys are actually lucky I was able to update today. I have a doctor's appointment today. I dunno when it'll end, so...yeah.**

**Truth be told, I had actually written out almost all of this chapter by the time the always-evil Monday struck. Busy week...**

**New quota will be four hundred and six (406) reviews. But it would be frikin awesome if I could pull off 420 reviews! XD Anyway, only asking for 406.**

**M'kay, so I'll give you guys your review replies. OH, but before I do, THANK YOU TONS FOR REVIEWING! Even going so far as to go OVER the number I asked! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST! ...Um, right, here are your replies now...**

**_Sunshine-Midnight123_-I thought Danny should be a little sweeter than he has been lately. Glad I made that work! :D**

**_Danny Phantom Phanatic_-XD ikr? One of my fave parts! Gotta say, I had lots of fun writing that part!**

**_Codiak_-CRAP NOT ANOTHER ONE! LIIIIIVVVVEEEE!**

**_YukiNightwish_-lolz, you're nuts, I can tell! :P**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_-Woah, language, language... Well, sort of. What Sam was doing wasn't EXACTLY fooling them, a small part of it was real. It's kinda complicated...but here goes: Sam didn't ever tell them the truth about why she first started cutting. Every step has been based on 'she got pregnant at a young age', instead of what really happened. It worked for her, but for the wrong reason. Making any sense now?**

**_KarlaG15_-Hahaha! Well, I know everyone, including you, was expecting it to be this huge, climactic ending of that scenario. But answer me this if you're disappointed: what was I supposed to do in a lonely room with only one person there? Start a dance party? Plus, it's a little more realistic that way. ...Ah, who am I kidding, it was disappointing just to write that stupid part.**

**_xxxAngelBlueEyesxxx_-Oh, geez, you okay? I wanted someone to find out and no matter when I put it in, it was going to be Jenna no matter what.**

**_Gracie407_-lolz Don't worry, it didn't. (well duh, you already know that, you just read the chapter!)**

**_KP100_-Thx, lolz! (what are we loling about?)**

**_L._-...Um, at least two months. Or longer. Eh...let's just say you don't wanna know.**

**_Inventor of ZADRF_-Asparagus is flat-out disgusting... Okay, so many people have been hinting at more romance between Sam and Danny. What KIND of romance, though? Dating, bf/gf, serious, intimate? Tell me! I COMMAND YOU ALL!**

**_Titansgirl-otherstuff_-Okay, first of all, you walked RIGHT into being pushed into the pool! XD I still can't believe you did that! And I quote myself: "Okay, now stand on the edge, with your tippy toes gripping the edge, like- yeah, like that. *pushes you into pool*. XDDDD MEGA LOL! How did you NOT see that coming? XD Oh, and another thing, QUIT RUNNING ME OVER WITH TRAINS. And also, you left some of your hair bands your hair bands here. I should just mail them back. Oh, and tell Katrina she left her pajamas here, too. **

**_IsadoraKayStone_-It is anti-climactic, but the story will have a climactic ending, so...yeah. Yes, there will be a sequel. As soon as I figure out the plot to that sequel. **

**_Applejax XD_-Thank you! :D**

**_DannySamLover20_-Thanks, and I will!**

**_xsugarxblossomx_-Wait no longer, then!**

**_Kagome_-M'kay, I have actually read your previous review on Hidden Secrets. Fanfiction got all wacked out and deleted that specific document, among others. I'm currently trying to remember where I was on that story, because when it got deleted, I had the entire chapter written out. I'm sorry, but right now, I just can't update yet. I'm not going to abandon the story, though. No matter how long it takes me to update, I NEVER abandon one of my stories.**

**Again, if you haven't read _Inventor of ZADRF_'s review reply, please tell me what kind of romance you're looking for in this story. I can make it happen, but guys are confusing me a little bit here. Choose from one of these options (all options will stay T-rated): Dating-just dates and stuff in those lines/Gf/Bf-boyfriend slash girlfriend, a few kisses here and there, holding hands/Serious-deeper kisses, more frequent kisses, hanging out together alot/Intimate-much more serious loving, very passionate kisses, sensual stuff**

**There are your options, please pick one. The one with the most votes will be placed as the main romance in the story, so choose EXACTLY what you want.**


	26. Chapter 26

~Chapter 26~

A whole month had passed by much faster than one could've ever anticipated. Sam was enrolled back in Casper High, the high-school version of Sandra was still nagging her and picking at her like there was no tomorrow, she had regained her former friendship with Tucker, and she had finally gotten back into a daily routine at the Fentons' household. Everything was finally setting itself into place. Everything was finally getting better. Everything was finally becoming peaceful again.

And this was why Sam was scared stiff. It seemed like every time her life got peaceful, something turbulent would happen. That something had become the children's father, their biological father. He was bound to show up sometime, somewhere! And she didn't know when. She didn't know where. For that reason she had been at Danny's side more than ever before.

Plus she had an ultrasound tomorrow and Danny wasn't going to let her out of his sight until he found out what gender the babies were. He had been so excited and so eager to know for the past two weeks that he literally wouldn't stop talking about it. He bragged about it to the whole school. He was so proud, acting just like what Sam expected a real father to act like. The funny part was, Danny didn't even know he was meeting every last one of her expectations.

The bell rang obnoxiously; class had finally ended for a free period.

As the goth walked from her class to stretch a little bit, she could hear Danny merrily talking about tomorrow, when her appointment was due. "I'm finally going to know! Can you believe it? I mean, unless Sam wants to keep it a surprise, but still! I'm going to get to see them and I'll know whether they're a boy or a girl! Or one of both! Oh, man! This is going to be so awesome!"

Tucker was the one who finally got fed up for the day...for his lifetime...and shut him up with, "DUDE! We know! All you been talking about is Sam's ultrasound! Give it a rest already!"

She heard Danny snort and blushed. It was so sweet and at the same time adorable how much he cared for children that weren't even his. He sincerely wanted to help raise them; he wanted to be involved in their lives. Though...even she had to admit that he might just be going a little overboard with this whole doctor's appointment... She was also excited, but Danny...whew...Danny was just a different story altogether.

She resisted the urge to smirk when she remembered that she hadn't yet bragged to Paulina about being able to feel the babies kick. Oh, she would get a lot of fun out of that...

After stretching, Sam walked back into the room to find Danny's legs bouncing up and down in his chair. He was so overly excited about tomorrow he was restless and couldn't really keep still. He'd even been having trouble going to sleep! But the restlessness had only started about four or five days ago. Everyone in his family was excited, but they were also unable to tolerate his constant chatter and his inability to stay still for more than two minutes. Thankfully, it was very easy to forgive him; even they thought it was cute how pumped he was.

Sam took her seat and was met with a huge smile from the hyperactive halfa. Fifty percent of the time it wasn't a grin, it was a laugh. Thank goodness this would be over soon...

Her eyes widened with dread as she wondered what he would be like when it neared time to give birth... Oh, man... Talk about the worst month of your life...

Still, though, she couldn't forget that she relied on him. He provided her shelter, her support, her comfort...even her warmth, as she insisted that he stop sleeping separately on the floor and snuggle into bed with her. He hesitated for some reason, but after awhile of consistent begging, he gave in and happily obliged to sleep next to her. And after he went to sleep, she would take his arms and put them around her, simulating what she liked him to do when he was crazed up on moon flower pollen.

He always wondered why he would wake up to find himself wrapped around the goth.

The pregnant teen yawned and pushed hair in front of her face. During free periods she liked to take small naps. It wasn't in her nature to be lazy and fall asleep during school hours; normally she would've spent a free period studying to make good grades. However, in the course of a month, her pregnancy had taken even more of a toll on her. Dragging around two babies everywhere all day long every day wasn't as easy as it looked. She had to push herself to keep going to each class, finding the end rewards greater. Unfortunately, she became exhausted during daytime hours, so Mr. Lancer had given her a free period every day to sleep for awhile. Thank goodness her teacher had taken pity upon her...

To make matters worse, even though Mr. Lancer had been kind enough to give her breaks, her feet were almost always swollen. At first, it shocked Danny and he thought something was wrong. He darn near spazed out over it. It took some time to calm him down and some more time to explain it was just all part of being pregnant. Yeah, it was just another one of those crappy symptoms you had to put up with until the babies were born.

It took moments for the tired goth to drift off.

Nobody dared wake her; when Sam got too tired and didn't get enough sleep to even it out, she got cranky. And coupled with her pregnancy hormones, the mood swings were so much more severe.

The whole class lowered their voices and kept quieter. Not even Paulina wanted to experience the wrath of a pregnant teenager. And Sam had wrath, a lot of wrath.

"Geez, I don't think I'll ever have kids. If I do, I'm adopting," Paulina remarked.

"Why?" some random student in the same class asked her.

"I don't want to be as fat as that loser," she grumbled, referring, obviously, to Sam.

The halfbreed was far too happy to care, or even focus on, what the Latino was saying, even if it _was_ about Sam. He just kept smiling and impatiently awaited tomorrow's arrival. Oh, he would finally know the genders! What a day! What a joyous day! Why couldn't it be here already? It should come sooner! Oooooh, and then when the little guys were born! OH HAPPY DAY!

* * *

Once school was out for the day, and Tucker had split from their trio, Danny worked up the nerve to ask Sam a somewhat embarrassing question as they walked toward his house together.

"Sam, when you go into labor, I was just thinking...would you let me stay in the birth room with you?" he asked.

The goth blushed hotly at the question, but knew she had to give him an answer. After all, a question like that _deserved_ an answer. But first...she needed to think about it. She knew Danny didn't want to be in the room to 'see' anything, he just wanted to be there for the babies. It would be uncomfortable, though. He wasn't the babies' real dad, no matter how much he acted like he was.

"Sam?"

"I...I don't know, Danny. We can cross that bridge when we get to it, okay? Once we get to that moment, we'll see how thing work out," she returned.

Before Danny could complain, Sam stopped, closed her eyes, and held her stomach. Her teeth were clenched tightly, as if she was in pain.

"Sam?"

...No answer.

"Sam, please tell me the baby's not coming yet!" the halfa shrieked.

The goth shook her head, mumbling, "No, it's just a very painful false contraction."

Danny calmed down immediately, sighed in relief, and waited quietly and patiently for it to pass. Sam, on the other hand, was hating this. It had happened three times before, and each time had freaked poor Danny out. It told her that her pregnancy was nearing its end, and that the babies were almost fully developed. As a matter of fact, if she went into active labor right now, and the babies were born three months early, they could survive.

Finally, the contraction passed, and Sam was immediately released from her pain.

The two continued walking down the usual route that was their way home. Yes, home. Yes, _their_ home. The goth had long ago stopped thinking of the house as just Danny's and his family's house. She was practically family now anyway. They sure treated her like family. She was assigned minor chores. She knew that she would've been assigned the big stuff, like vacuuming, if not for her pregnancy and constant fatigue. Instead she did dishes and little things, like picking up the pieces of notebook paper from hers and Danny's homework before someone vacuumed.

But once she got to the house there were no chores, so she flopped onto the couch to rest up. She sighed in bliss as the couch embraced her with its comforting cushiony cushions. It was Heaven, being able to stretch out to her full length like this! It was ever so relaxing! Especially since her muscles, namely her legs, were tired from dragging around all that extra weight. It probably didn't help that she had frequent pasta and potato cravings.

Danny placed himself on the floor in front of the couch. He knew Sam liked having him near, just in case the worst was to happen. Danny liked being around Sam because he loved her and thoroughly enjoyed having her in his company. He wanted to protect her and the kids. He didn't know why, but he felt such a strong urge to defend them against anything that so much as _seemed_ threatening. In a way, he was trying to replace the goth's sorrows with his love. It would have been so much easier on her if the kids really _were_ his. Things just hadn't turned out that way...

Danny smiled sadly and looked up at Sam, of whom was already slumbering quietly. Sam... She had always been so friendly, so kind, so innocent. So why her? Why Sam? She didn't deserve it; no girl did, but especially not Sam. He knew she didn't want to be pitied, but...he just couldn't help it. She didn't want her family to know, she got kicked out because of it. She didn't want his family to know, she was stuck with them because of it. She didn't want to remember what had happened during the daytime, she had horrible nightmares because of it. She had wanted her twins to be born to her future husband, she cut the wound deeper because of it. No matter how cumbersomely that poor girl tried, she only made things worse by trying to forget. And forgetting...was nothing beyond impossible.

Danny knew she would never accomplish it. He knew how hard and how desperately she struggled, but he could never bring himself to tell her it was all in vain, that she was wasting her time. At the same time, he couldn't stand to know she was suffering day after day. The halfa had been with the goth for so long now, he had become very tuned to her feelings, especially those of distress. Her soul was tormented, anguished. The confusion she felt frustrated her. He hoped the love he felt for her would heal her. But for now all he could do was hope...nothing else.

Sam's hand fell from the couch and around the halfbreed's neck.

"Thanks, Danny..." she whispered in her sleep.

"Anything for you, Dove," he whispered back.

And to think that had she been awake, this would've been a perfect romance moment. The thought of it almost made the halfa chuckle. The thought of acting lie she was choking him in her sleep until she woke up _did_.

Danny, instead of doing what most guys his age would do, opted to do the more responsible thing and scooped her up gently. She didn't seem to be disturbed by any of the movement that took place while he brought her upstairs to rest on the bed. The bed had to be much more comfortable than the couch.

Setting her on the bed and pulling the covers over her had to be one of the greatest feelings in the world to Danny. He felt as though he was finally doing something to help her. It was the feeling he wanted to feel every day of the rest of his life, the rest of his afterlife, too.

He stayed with her until she woke up, in which the time he kept himself busy by completing homework Mr. Lancer had assigned. Sam never got too much homework anymore. She pushed herself to do as much as possible in school. It was amazing, really. Were he in her position, he would blow it off. But she was doing all this for the sake of a good future for her unborn children. She wanted to be a good mother, make good money, and raise well-mannered kids while at the same time giving them everything they needed. She was already being a good mom and her kids weren't even born yet.

Sam yawned and stretched, always a sign she was waking slowly cracked her eyes and saw Danny. "I fell asleep again, didn't I?"

Danny smiled and returned, "Yeah, but you slept mostly on the bed this time. I don't know how you manage the couch _every_ time."

"I don't know. The couch isn't as bad as you people peg it. It's actually pretty comfy," she said.

Yeah, well, he just wanted to make sure she was alright. He had appointed that his duty, his priority. It came above darn near everything else. He would make sure it stayed that way, for Sam was his whole world, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to that world, in which two living creations were growing. Sam was his; he would keep her safe at all and any costs.

She really had no idea how precious she was to him.

Danny got up from his desk, where he had been sitting for at least two hours, and stretched. His back and neck popped in the process, and a relieved grin tugged at his mouth. He made absolutely no attempt to stop it. Felt too good!

Sam threw off the covers and sat up right in time to feel the babies kick the living snot out of her. It didn't hurt this time, but it felt strange.

"Hey, Danny, come here. You gotta feel this," she said, motioning for him to come and feel her belly.

The halfa darted to her side and placed one hand gently over her midsection. He giggled as one of them repeatedly kicked his hand. "It feels so weird."

"Trust me, I know." She pressed his hand a little bit harder into her belly, then moved it to the spot where the twins were kicking hardest. "Parental abuse."

Danny laughed for a brief moment and went back to focusing on the little bulges moving around on Sam's stomach. He could feel a momentary lump and then nothing, then another little lump and another and another. Man, what poor Mommy had to be going through right now.

It was at times like this that Danny felt on top of the world; he couldn't differentiate between their real dad and him. Right now he was their real dad. Right now he was the twins' father. This was his and Sam's moment, and nothing could take him from it. They were alive, and romping around inside the goth. Maybe they would be sweet little playful babies who loved to make people laugh. Maybe they would be cute little shy babies who hid behind their parents. Maybe they would be innocent little needy babies who clung to their parents all the time, ever longing for their comfort and support.

It would be so exciting to find out!

**A/N**

**May I just say one teensy weensy little thing? YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! Thank you all so much for the reviews; they really inspired me to write this chapter! Nothing really happened, granted, but I hope it was to your liking anyway!**

**Also, I may need a little time to figure out the next chapter. And sorry about the delay on this one, but first I encounter yet MORE trouble with fanfiction, then I somehow managed to delete the document before actually saving AN ENTIRE CHAPTER I'D WRITTEN, so then I had to go back, rewrite what I could on Microsoft Word, upload the document, and post it as a chapter. Ugh... And since my computer sucks and runs so slow, it took awhile before I even got fanfiction UP, let alone RUNNING. So please, please forgive the long wait. I swear I planned to update much sooner before I knew I was having problems!**

ANOTHER THING! VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ THIS! I have written what I believe to be quite interesting new stories. HOWEVER, these stories are not in the Danny Phantom fandom. They fall under Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, an anime which I DESPERATELY encourage people to watch just so it may one day air in America and other countries. (So far it has only aired in Japan.) It is a really good anime with a very intriguing background of its main character. It's funny, it's sad, it's cute, it's romantic, it's epic, and it deserves to be watched. Go to animecrunch . com (ignore the spaces) to watch every episode of Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne. And it's a must-watch if you like watching cops make fools of themselves! XD Please just give this a chance. Or, if you wish, you can read my stories first (though I'm not guaranteeing you'll understand it) and then see if you want to watch it. So far my stories for this anime are as follows: Unexpectations; Yes, Master; Loving Him (complete); and Deeply Wounded. "Loving Him" is an old story so it kinda sucks, but has a sort of interesting plot. The rest are better, newer. Thanks for reading this rant! Sorry to have taken your time! Gomenasai. Mou, Kaitou Jeanne ne wa. :P Arigatou; ja ne! Jeanne de da combriar!

**Also, there WILL be a review quota for this chapter just because I'm hoping one of you will jog an idea. You don't even have to write a long review or anything, you just have to say what you want; I promise something WILL come to me when you do that.**

**Oh, right, right. The review quota for this chapter is four hundred and twenty-six (426) reviews.**

**Ahem! Without further ado, I present to you all your review replies:**

**_MariaPhantom8998_- Yeah, I never actually did any research on the pregnancy stuff. I know only because my mom had my baby sister last year; I still remember her and her actions throughout the pregnancy. Twins sometimes stay in the womb for nine months, but usually don't.**

**_DXSGirl123_- Oh, I don't know. However many it takes, I guess.**

**_FakexReality_- Thank you! :) The only spelling problems are when I update on my dad's computer. It doesn't have spell check, so I sometimes type too fast and misspell some stuff. And the grammar problems are meant to be there; they are never mistakes. It helps engage the reader in the emotion of the story.**

**_Inventor of ZADRF_- Oh, dang! lolz! It sucks, doesn't it? XD I'm sixteen. Due to medical setbacks, I haven't been able to study, but now I'm finally allowed and I'm psyched about it! My friend is also studying and I've been trying to call her and ask if we could study together, but she won't answer her phone; then when I do get a hold of her, I forget what I was gonna ask her! XD Oh, cruel irony...**

**_DannySamLover20_- Thanks, and I will!**

**_nuhnuhnuhniley4ever_- Aw, that's sweet. -^_^- Okay, okay, people have been nagging me at that for awhile now, but I can't say, It'll ruin the wonders of the story! :P Sorry. I'm a Danny/Sam fan myself. THEY BELONG TOGETHER. I hate it when people post Danny/Vlad. Sick. And Danny/Valerie? Uh, no. Val dumped him and in Phantom Planet he gets together with Sam FOR A REASON. I can't help but wonder what would happen if Butch Hartman saw this stuff... -_-"**

**_aslan333_- thanks. I went to my cousin's Greek wedding. (This is not a 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' reference; my cousin really is Greek and he really did get married.)**

**_Codiak_- Yesh! ^^ I was planning to go with the flow on the romance stuff, too, but everybody kept pressing me on that and I finally snapped.**

**_Gracie407_- Haha! Yesh! Right now they both love each other, but it's kinda back to square one. :P Except Sam was the one who didn't admit her feelings even when Danny did. (note the moon flower scene)**

**_CatchingWind_- I'm guessing you farted for a long time (forgive me if I'm wrong). Wow, for this to impress even a DxS nonbeliever? D: Woah. I still don't get how this is good and how this pleases you guys, but uh, okay. Twins' gender will be revealed in next chappie.**

**_Looka'sMagicHell_- Haha! Always a good thing! I know, me, too! I was getting so tired of her being in there and having to put up with _Sandra_... Couldn't keep doing that to her.**

**_xxxAngelBlueEyesxxx_- Holy cow! Like something in the movies! I'm so glad you're alright! Sorry you broke your leg, though...it must've been some kind of aweful. Haha! Well, I'm glad I could make you happy! ^.^**

**_KP100_- lolz, okay. So basically we were laughing at nothing? ...Ah, well, I can just lay there and stare at the ceiling and that'll make me laugh. I'm fine with laughing at nothing. We should do it more often! XD**

**_Danny Phantom Fan1_- It's okay. :) Just please don't hurt me. I should've made her scream that! lolz! Well, the update was again delayed but I had reasons which I couldn't control this time.**

**_Applejax XD_- I've decided on the gender. :) I think it will please everyone. :D Hope it does!**

**_IsadoraKayStone_- Hum...I don't know yet. Didn't plan on it, but I might tweak the story a bit, make some unexpected changes. :3**

**_Chrome Nagi Dokuro_- Um, quick question; "kuro" in Japanese means "black". So in "dokuro", what would be black? I mean, it's not like you have a normal thing like "kage no neko", or "shadow cat". So what exactly does "dokuro" mean? Also, I take it you're an anime fan from your pen name; are you interested, by any chance, in watching Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne?**

**_Jubiland_- Oh, you're right. I was thinking about that earlier and didn't know what to do about it! XD**

**_Kpfan72491_- Thanks, I'll tell her! lolz! Wait no longer, then. :)**

**_lpwriter4life_- Well, they're twins. Twins are rarely born at the nine month notch. **

**_Shadowkatze_- We all hate Paulina. She sucks. I've actually never hear of "Fringe" before. I wrote that scene from my own mind. :P Most of these ideas actually come from dreams, so each chapter is a link into my subconscious. Hope ya like! XD "I like this show" isn't an IZ reference, but the waving arm thing I twisted around to make it a little more original; though, yes, the latter is an IZ reference. Sorry to hear that... I had a friend, Jessie, who was so shy she would never have made any friends at all had I not gone up to her at the empty lunch table one day and made friends with her. Before she moved to California, I told her she needed to be bolder and more outgoing if she wanted to make new friends. Never heard from her since, but I know she took my advice. :) I really miss her... Anyway, I hope you can learn from that story and be braver. Stick up for yourself, don't put up with other people's crap, and take charge of your life. Don't worry, I'm keeping this story at a good pace. They'll get together in due time. Promise.**

**At the mention of my childhood friend whom I haven't heard from in so long, if she is reading this, I want her to know it's _me_, Mikaylah. If you're reading this, Jessie, you kept me going through really tough times. I know you didn't know that, but you made a huge impact on my life, and I'll never forget you, even after all these years. Please, Jessie, if you're reading this, please just give me a little review or email me. Find me on facebook! Please, Jessie, I really miss you and I've been trying to get back in touch with you for the longest of times! You were my only friend at Sunset, I was your only friend back then, too. I'm begging you, if you're reading this, to talk to me once more! I miss you, I really do. So, please do me this one favor.**


	27. Chapter 27

~Chapter 27~

Fate, destiny, luck, karma...whatever one chose to call it. Sam? To Sam it was Life. Her doctor's appointment was tomorrow. And guess what? Today was tomorrow. Today was the day Life would decide a major choice. Today was the day she, Danny, and his family would discover what the babies' genders were. She was excited, yet unimaginably nervous. One reason was because she didn't want a male doctor; female doctors were much more sensitive and could relate to pregnant ladies. Guy doctors couldn't because it was impossible for them to get pregnant. Another reason was because she was unsure of what Danny wanted. For example, did he want two boys, two girls, or one of each? Would he be disappointed if they weren't what he wanted? Would he chicken out of the daddy business? Well, honestly, Sam never expected him to stay; she certainly never pushed the idea. She had even told him that he was free to choose what he wanted to do. But it bothered her that he might not want to take care of the twins once he knew how much work they were.

Today her mind wasn't clear, and she couldn't focus at all in class. Everyone kept giving her glances and looks, as if they were expecting something of her. What did they want? Were they eager to find out, too? Were they wondering what she would name them? Were they thinking of names to suggest to her? They better not be! Her schoolmates had been so cruel to her since they learned she was pregnant. She hadn't allowed anyone but Danny, Tucker, and her teachers to feel her belly. Part of it was just to spite those monsters, and part of it was because she felt they didn't deserve her kindness or generosity anymore. The most crucial part, though, was most likely a mental thing; she had absolutely no desire to allow her children, even unborn, to be exposed to what would later be called "meanies". She didn't want these precious little bundles inside her now-enlarged womb to suffer what she did. Yes, they could have friends, but she was urged to protect them. Either she was mentally scarred by this whole thing, it was a maternal instinct, or a combination of both.

"Ms. Manson!" Mr. Lancer called out suddenly, snapping the goth completely back to the classroom. "Pay attention! You'll miss your appointment if you don't leave now!"

Sam nodded, still a little out-of-it from being brought back from her meditations so suddenly, and pulled her backpack from the back of her chair as she stood to leave the room. For an unknown reason, she waved good-bye to the teacher before walking wordlessly out the door.

The halfa rapidly stood, almost as if unable to control himself any longer, and practically yelled out, "Mr. Lancer, I have to go, too!"

The startled Mr. Lancer shouted, "_Hatching Magic_, boy! Settle down!" He sighed and quickly regained his bearings. "No, this appointment is for Ms. Manson only because she needs it."

"What?" Danny cried. "But doesn't it seem a little unfair that the dad doesn't get to go?"

"You're the dad?" The teacher looked around the room as an agitated look swept across his face. "Why wasn't I told about this? I've been wondering this whole time!"

"So I can go?" Danny rushed.

"Yes, I suppose that's fine. But so help me, if you forget your homework _one _more time..." he intentionally let his voice trail off to get the point across.

Danny hardly heard it; he was already darting out the door and running as fast as he could to catch up with Sam before she left school grounds. He was the father, or so it felt that way. He _had_ to be there for her! It wasn't an option for him; he was their dad, and his precious Sam was their mother. Those twins would be raised just the way Sam wanted.

As he caught up to the pregnant teenager, he swore to himself that he would let nothing bad come to those twins.

Sam turned around, already expecting Danny to be there. She knew him, and knew he was going to come whether Lancer said he could or not. He would use his ghost powers if necessary. Danny wanted so badly to help her through this. It was amazing he didn't burn out, honestly. She felt bad for him, though. She sensed his feelings toward her and the twins; he wanted to be her knight in shining armor and he wanted to be the kids' almighty father.

"Hey, Sam. Lancer said I could come with you," the halfa claimed breathlessly.

Sam rested her arms on her enlarged stomach. Six months pregnant, and holding two unborn babies...it was, to say the least, hard. When you were fifteen and and everyone you thought would be supportive turned their backs on you because you were pregnant and not yet married, life got that much tougher. However, she knew she wasn't alone. Her pain, her confusion, her suffering, her experiences...it was true those things separated her from her friends and family, but Danny and Tucker and Danny's family, which she thought of as her own family now, were right beside her. And even though only Danny and Tucker, her two closest friends, knew what had happened to her, Danny's family was ecstatic about the baby. Yes, they were disappointed in the two of them at first, but that disappointment had disappeared into blank nothingness. Now all that remained was good feelings, wishes of luck and well-being, and sheer happiness for the two soon-to-be parents. The goth was thankful for being blessed with Danny's family and the friends she had.

* * *

As Sam browsed leisurely through magazines in the waiting room at a women's hospital, Danny kept pestering her about what time it was. She knew he was just mega-excited, but still...was all this hyperness really that necessary...?

Another reason was because her appointment had been delayed. Her doctor, a female doctor, was delivering a baby today. Yes, the women's clinic also delivered babies, and even had a plaque that said, "Please be patient if your appointment is late. We also deliver babies!" It had a picture of a stork carrying a white bundle of something in its long beak. Its wings were spread wide; it was flying to deliver the baby to some expecting mother.

After what had to be at least two hours, the lady behind the desk called out Sam's name. Before the goth could even get up, Danny was waiting impatiently at the desk. Sam rolled her eyes. Why her?

After being lead through a door, down a hall, and into an ultrasound room, she underwent the process of laying on the bed, pulling up her shirt, having cold gel being smeared onto her belly, and then finally...the moment everyone had been waiting for for the longest of times, a whole, incredibly long and eventful six months.

Two forms appeared on the monitor above Sam. The little remote-like device was moved around and then the full forms of two babies could be seen. They looked much more like babies than before, when they looked more like weird beans. They had arms and legs now, unlike before, where the arms and legs were hardly visible at all. Their heads were beginning to take on a much more human-like form as well. They even had little butts!

The halfa stared in awe. He had attended one of Sam's earlier ultrasounds, but only stayed long enough to hear the part about her having twins. Then he left, only to see her again later that night. But now, seeing the twins that rested and played inside Sam... It was truly wonderful. They looked like babies, when he thought they would look like little...somethings.

The little device was moved around alot before finally resting on one spot.

"Okay," the doctor, who had apparently been dubbed Dr. Brease, started, "This is the baby on the left side. You wanna know what its sex is, or do I keep it a secret?"

Danny looked at Sam without expression, not wanting to pressure her if she wanted to keep it a surprise. But thankfully, she was quite eager to know as well, and didn't want to keep waiting.

"No, we really want to know. We've been waiting a long six months for this," the goth replied truthfully.

Danny smiled excitedly and awaited the answer, which couldn't come soon enough.

"Okay. Well, this little baby here is..." She trailed off as she moved the device to try to follow the baby as it turned around, effectively avoiding the screen.

"Aw, it's embarrassed!" the halfa squealed.

The doctor chuckled and quickly found the baby's...erm...buttox.

"Alright, this is a little boy!" Dr. Brease announced merrily.

Danny literally jumped in the air, thankfully resisting the urge to whoop and holler.

"Danny, Danny, calm down. We still don't know the second one yet," the goth said, controlling her own excitement. It awed her that girls were normally the emotional ones, yet the halfbreed was more excited than any girl she'd ever seen.

Dr. Brease slid the device over Sam's belly to the other side. This would allow her to see the gender of the other baby. She seemed to have a little trouble at first, but after a few minutes she pushed on Sam's belly and managed to get the baby to turn. The baby didn't like this very much and started kicking, making little lumps appear on its mother's midsection.

No one noticed.

"And this little one is..." The doctor moved the device around just a tad more. "This little one is a girl!" Another cheerful announcement.

Danny hugged Sam so hard she couldn't even breathe. She made choking sounds to tell him the effects of his actions.

"Oh, sorry!" he apologized as he released her from his great big bear hug. "Sam, can you believe it's a girl? Oh, good job, Sam! Good job! REALLY GOOD JOB!"

Sam smiled, her first real smile since the rape. Too bad the halfa didn't take notice of it; he was far too engulfed in the babies' genders. Already he was thinking up names and trying to consider each one thoroughly before recommending it to Sam. It was flat-out adorable!

* * *

Danny was chatting about the appointment the whole way to their house. He was talking about the babies, names for them, the color of their room, their middle names, which last name Sam wanted, and finally which one of them would break the news to his parents and Jazz.

They civilly debated on the last subject for awhile before finally coming to the conclusion that since Danny was a bay, he would tell his family that one of the twins was a boy. And since Sam was a girl, she would tell them that the other one was a girl. It was a gender-to-gender thing.

It wasn't much longer before Sam reached her freedom from Danny's exhausting blubbering. She was both mentally and physically tired from a long day of listening to the halfa and seeing him so twitchy and eager.

"GUYS! GUYS! WE HAVE SOME BIG NEWS!" he screamed out as soon as he got inside.

"Danny! For goodness sake, calm down!" his mother begged. "Now, what is it? CALMLY."

Her husband was soon behind her, temporarily stopping his experimentations. "What's all the hub-bub about?"

Sam walked beside Danny and waited for him to blurt out his news.

Sure enough, that didn't take long at all. "One of the twins is a boy!"

Danny gently elbowed Sam, trying to hurry her up.

"And the other is a girl," the goth said, much more laxly than the halfbreed.

"Oh! That's excellent news! You'll have to tell Jazz when she gets home from school!" Maddie congratulated.

"Just imagine, now we have a boy grandchild _and_ a girl grandchild to embarrass!" Jack added proudly.

Sam smiled again. They were proud of her. They were truly, honestly, genuinely, sincerely proud! That was so much more to say than her own family, who had viciously kicked her out, cut her off, and closed their door.

* * *

As nighttime crept onward, replacing the daylight with darkness, Sam finished up her homework and snuggled up in bed, ready to rest for the night. The halfa couldn't turn off the lamp just yet, though, because he still had homework to do.

"Danny?" Sam asked, her heavy eyes half-closed from such an eventful and tiresome day. Jazz had already been told, Danny had _finally_ calmed down, and the thrill was beginning to wear off a bit.

"Yeah?" he answered.

As much as she hated to say this... "The twins aren't really yours, they're another man's. What do you think will happen when your parents and your sister find out?"

He didn't seem offended in any way by the comment about the twins not being his. "What do you mean, Sam?"

"Well, they were all just so happy about today, you know, finding out the twins are a boy and a girl... I was just wondering...would they be upset with us because we lied to them? Because Jazz won't really be an aunt and your parents won't really be grandparents?"

He thought for a second before answering, "I highly doubt it, Sam. That's going to be the last thing they'll think of. In order for them to know the twins aren't actually mine, they'll have to know what happened to you. I promised I wouldn't talk about that to anyone but you, remember? I mean to keep that promise."

Sam rolled over on her side, her mind at ease. He was right; if no one knew what happened, then no one would question Danny as being the biological father. Therefore, her secret would be kept safe and hidden from any prying eyes. Not that there were any, but that's not really the point.

After awhile, she got too sleepy to stay up much longer and wanted Danny's company. "Danny, you done with your homework yet?"

"Uh, two more problems in Algebra, then I'll be done," was his answer.

It took ten minutes to solve the two problems, and by then Sam was ready to close her eyes and go to sleep.

"Done."

"Good, get into bed with me," she murmured groggily.

The halfa turned off the lamp. He walked over the the bed, pulled off the covers, got into bed, and pulled the covers back up.

It took seconds to fall asleep. It took a few more seconds for Sam to put his arms around her.

**A/N**

**Yeah, this probably wasn't my best chapter, but at least now you know what the twins' genders are! **

**Um, really don't have anything to say for this chapter, except that if you like Naruto, then I am going to, come this weekend, publish a new Naruto fanfic called Pink Moon. You can tell from the title that it's about Sakura, and of course, Naruto. NaruSaku, people. Also it has four thousand words, and I'm going on more than that, although to be fair the length of the chapters will depend on how long I can milk it out, so some future chapters may not be as long as five thousand or three thousand words. May be longer, may be shorter; like I said, it depends on how good I manage to make it. **

**Okay, so the new review quota will be four hundred and fifty-eight (458) reviews. However, because I think that number may be a little too big, especially since I just pulled it out of nowhere and am too lazy to delete it and think up of another one, I'll definitely settle for less and while you guys are keeping yourselves busy reading this chapter, or for new readers, this story, I'll keep myself busy writing the next installment. I WILL TRY TO UPDATE THIS WEEKEND. I HIGHLY DOUBT I'LL BE ABLE TO UPDATE SOONER THAN THAT.**

**Anyway, your review replied will unfortunately not be coming in this chapter. See, I've delayed the chapter itself long enough and I don't want to keep you all waiting, so I'm updating today. However, I learned just today that I'm going to a fair, of which I had no clue I was going to in the first place. (I know. Parents, right?) So I'm really sorry for this little inconvenience but I assure you I will not post the next chapter until I reply to the reviews you guys give me. And you know I'll keep my promise because I don't usually hold up your replies, the main exception being that one time on Halloween. :P I got lots of candy that day. I like candy. :D**

**Have a nice day, and I'll get started on the next chapter sometime after the fair, and probably dinner.**

***Details on Pink Moon will be shown in the next chapter's Author's Note, so if you happen to be interested, keep an eye out for that.**


	28. Chapter 28

~Chapter 28~

The next day at school was chaotic. Everyone kept wanting to know the twins' genders, but Sam refused to tell them. Everybody kept wanting to know the names of the twins, but Sam didn't tell them, mostly because she and Danny hadn't figured out any names yet. Because Sam gave away no information, and was mindful not to let something accidentally slip out, the students at Casper High kept pestering her, always wanting to know more about the two little people living in her womb. This time even Paulina and her groupies were asking the same thing amongst each other, testing to see if anyone knew. Nobody did, of course.

And to be perfectly honest, Sam was having a little bit of fun herself not telling anyone. Even the teachers were wondering about it, but strangely they never asked her about it. So whenever a student asked a teacher or a staff member, they could do no more than shrug.

Well, even though she considered "everyone" to know nothing, there was still Tucker. He would find out at lunch. Well, that is, _if_ they could be left alone for about five seconds. The girls in particular were the worst about coming straight up to Sam and probing her for information on the babies. Their curiosity regarding the subject of something that was none of their business to begin with shocked the goth. That is to say, it was appalling that they would treat her so savagely, yet still expect to be shown and told everything they wanted. Some of them even had the nerve to ask if they could feel her stomach!

It was only at lunchtime that they, "they" being Danny, Sam, and Tucker, were left alone for the first time all day. Hopefully this meant the other students had given up on gaining the knowledge they wanted.

"So, Tucker, we went to the ultrasound yesterday," the goth commenced.

"Trust me, I know. The whole school does thanks to blabbermouth over here." At this remark he gestured to the halfa, who, in turn, smiled sheepishly. "But leaving that aside, how did it go? You guys find out the twins' genders?"

Danny was leaving this up to Sam so he wouldn't spoil the moment. He kind of already did that with his family...

The goth nodded and said, not without looking around first to make sure there were no spies from the enemy army, "One of them is a boy and the other is a girl."

"Oh, that's great, Sam. Congratulations!" Tucker grinned.

Danny let out a quite audible "A-hem!" with his expectance of at least a congratulatory _look_ from his technology-loving friend.

Poor Tucker was about to say, "But you didn't even do anything." However, he was inclined to congratulate his friend when he saw the goth's fake smile. He suddenly remembered that she had been raped; she'd never wanted to have kids at such a fragile age, especially not before she was married. That smile made him quickly regret even thinking of a congrats. But he knew Sam hated it when people pitied her. Pity just wasn't the kind of attention she liked to get. In her mind, in her world, she was being strong and bearing the pain with a smile on her face. In actuality, she was just lying to herself. She hardly smiled at all anymore, and when she did it was a fake smile. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't his place to tell her this. He hadn't been involved in this mess, and Sam hadn't confided in him.

Danny, he knew, knew all about the situation. He had known the goth had been cutting her wrists and hurting herself far before anyone else knew. He had known about Sam's rape before anyone else. He had respected her wishes by telling no one, not a single soul, about it. He had, all things considered, gone through the greatest of lengths to help Sam. Now no one could possibly compare to him. Surely, as of now, he was the goth's shelter, her protection. She felt safe when he was near. Nobody could replace Danny, not now, not ever. And frankly, he didn't blame her. If he were in her shoes, he would want Danny's protection and security as well.

Tucker shook the thought of himself as a girl out of his head. It was too disturbing to think about any longer.

"So," he started, changing the subject, "Have you thought of any names yet?"

They both shook their heads.

"Well can the boy's middle name be Tucker?" he asked, being silly.

"No, but you can help us think of a middle name," Danny offered.

"What? Why can't I help with the first?" he groaned in dissatisfaction.

"Because _I'm_ the one giving birth to them," the goth cut in. "I think I get to decide the first names. You can help with the middle ones."

"Oh, yeah. I've been wanting to ask you this, but I kept forgetting. What are their last names going to be?" the techno-geek asked. His curiosity was infectious, and it spread to Danny all-too-quickly.

Under the intense stare of the two boys, Sam sighed and gave in. "Either Fenton or Manson."

"Well, yeah, but are they going to have my last name or yours?" the halfa asked, just as eager to know as Tucker.

"I don't know, Danny. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Besides, we aren't out of time just yet," she said.

Tucker's eyebrows furrowed and he cocked his head slightly, sending off a strong signal of confusion.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that twins usually come earlier than nine months?" Danny asked, more rhetorically than curiously. He had immediately seen the opening and went for it.

Poor Tucker's head shot up and he scooted to the edge of his seat. "H-How much earlier?"

"Danny, quit messing with him." After chiding the halfa, she turned toward her friend. "Relax. They'll come when I'm about eight months along. Maybe just a tad bit earlier than that. They aren't coming right now; you don't have to worry about it."

The halfbreed snorted. "Yeah, until she's about eight months!"

"Danny!" Sam hissed.

The teen shrunk away and took a step back, putting his hands up in defeat. He was done. No more scaring Tucker. Message received. Message obeyed.

Again, she turned back to Tucker, plotting her revenge on the halfbreed as she spoke. "It's okay, Tucker. Besides, whenever the babies come, it won't be you dealing with it." She glanced at Danny quickly, who caught the look and went pale.

Suddenly Danny got the feeling he was in trouble. Pregnant Sam equals disaster. He'd have to remember that if they one day got married. NOT that he would be proposing anytime soon! Uh, nevermind; why was he even thinking about these things right now? Well, he already loved Sam to death, so that was probably why, but it might be a real turn-off if he went around talking to her about marriage when she was just fifteen years old! Not a good idea...

He mentally kicked himself and told himself to shut up. He did.

**A/N**

**This is LITERALLY all I could come up with for right now. Also, I need a big time skip, something that can't be accomplished in one single chapter. The next chapter will be one that I think all of you will deeply enjoy... :) Don't worry, though, this is all building up just the way (better actually) I hoped it would. If not for you guys this story would've been discontinued long ago. :D You guys rock! Um, also this chapter is , believe it or not, a major preparation for the next one, even though it's so short.**

**As promised, after a long and unnecessary wait, your review replies (there is no quota because I have no excuse for taking so long to update):**

**Shadowkatze-lolz! Yes! XP It was the original idea the whole time (that is, after I decided it to be twins cuz I couldn't decided whether it wud be a boy or girl)!**

**xsugarxblossomx-Haha... Um... From that review I'm sure you were expecting a very good, nice long chapter... Eheheheh... Gomenesai... *gulp***

**Danny Phantom Fan1- lolz! :P They're gonna have their hands full, that's for sure! You will find out, I promise. This story will NOT END until the rapist is revealed...and punished...**

**Phanfan925- You got what you wished for, then! Oh, thank you. I'm honored!**

**KP100- XD Getting a little emotional for a story, aren't we? :D ... O_o" G'um... O-Other? Wha-? *blinks and walks away* *does not want to know***

**DannySamLover20- I will! :) ...No matter how long it takes. lolz**

**Codiak- XD Yeah, that's what those little people are called, Codi! rofl!**

**smallvillephantom- lolz! I'll make sure they're cute. Yeah, he does. Took me a bit to write that chapter because I'm not used to writing someone so darn hyper.**

**Looka'sMagicHell- I'll milk it as much as I can. :P Meh, you can't really blame her. I mean, it's not having her lollipop stolen from her, it's rape. Hardcore, serious stuff. Not easy to confess that. T_T I is TWYING to be good aufor!**

**Titansgirl-otherstuff- GET BACK ON FANFICTION GIRL! XD Yeah, but I don't think you'd be up for the rides I like. :P I'm a REAL adrenaline junkie. Um, okay, Manny reminds me of El Tigre, Sandra was the girl everyone hated, Sandy was my dad's now-dead girlfriend (didn't like her), and if my mom happened to read this story and saw the name "Damien" on it, she'd pass out then ground for five weeks when she woke up. You chose all the wrong names! XD**

**FReeTOBeMe1311- No, the ghosts are still there, Sam's just been at rehab. And since this story revolves mostly around Sam and her difficulties, ghost-hunting isn't around when she isn't around.**

**aslan333- Thank you!**

**Gracie407- Then you got one of what you wanted! Congrats!**

**Rawrrr- Haha! Thanks!**

**lpwriter4life- I will! Thanks!**

**Applejax XD- That's good! **

**KagomeHaillzzYeah- -_-" It's okay. I know how you feel; once you see a good story, you just want it to be continued no matter what. I'll continue it but I've got alot of stuff to do first. Gomenesai...**

**SonOfLucifer- I forgot what happened in chapter 20. I've been writing this thing forever... But I'm glad I managed to re-capture your attention! XD This chapter may also be stale, but it'll pay off on the next chapter, okay? I must have the same cell problem... I got two scars on my ankle. Guess what they were from... Guess... Don't read this next sentence until you guess or else you'll ruin it... Okay, did you guess yet? I got them from-GUESS ALREADY! I got them from a dog leash! A leash! One of those plastic-covered ones. It wrapped around my ankle. Severe rope burn, dude... It was so bad it left two scars on the front of my ankles. I know what you mean. **

**Riverpebble- XD Right when I started reading that I was like, "Uh...you DO realize you're talking to the author, right?" We've all done it before, don't worry about it. Oooohhh... Not good when the backspace key sticks...**

**gothsamphan14- I'll update! :P**

**The phantom prince- lolz! You'll find out! Don't rush the story!**

**DPraven- XD Good one! Daily dose of Danny...I'll have to use that one on my mom... ;D**

**Thank you all so much for putting up with me and my crappy updates! I know you all were waiting and waiting. Sorry about that. However, as promised (meaning before you beat me into a pulp), I have given you guys your review replies.**


	29. Chapter 29

~Chapter 29~

A whole, long two months had passed since Tucker was told about the twin's sexes. Sam had been growing at a surprising rate. She already looked like she could pop any day now. She was also slowly starting to come out from under Danny's wings. It had been a long road, but she'd worked hard to try to regain her bearings and return things to the way they were. Of course, this was literally impossible, being as her parents still forbade her from entering their house. Then again, she hadn't gone back since she'd been kicked out, but she highly doubted they would allow her to stay. After all, her dad was the kind of man who, once a decision was made, it was_ final_. There wasn't any debating after he said something.

The goth got up for the morning and stretched, managing to suppress her yawn. Stretching was getting hard on her back. Her pregnant belly was so heavy and large from carrying two babies that it put a ton of pressure on her spine. The doctor said this was normal and that all expecting women went through this. Her spine curving inward was also apparently normal. She hated it. Whenever she would walk, she would feel her ankles hurting and her back struggling to keep her upright. Her knees sometimes bent from the extra weight she carried with her. It never interfered with her walking, it never made her stumble or fall, but it was still annoying. She sometimes complained about her pregnancy, but most of the time kept it down.

Shockingly enough, Maddie had been helping Sam with her pregnancy. She had been telling Sam what she needed to eat, what vitamins were the best to take during each trimester, how to stretch, the whole nine yards. She had set aside the guest room as the babies' room. She had bought Sam breast pumps and bottles and diapers and clothes and a rocking chair and a baby monitor and baby toys and baby bubble books and a diaper bag and even a newborn car seat for when Sam had to take the babies with her to school. There wasn't a day care center that Sam trusted enough to care for her children, so the kids would have to be brought with her to school after her maternity leave was over. Maddie had even warned Danny about the "Nesting Stage" that every pregnant woman went through.

Danny would often come home to find that the entire living room had been rearranged by none other than Sam. Maddie had told him it was completely normal and that he would come home to find the whole house reorganized sometimes. She had been right. Maddie also warned her son not to tell the goth it was just her hormones making her do this. It made girls mad.

Today even the lab had been renovated. Danny's room was more spacious than ever thanks to Sam. The living room couch, for God-knows-why reasons, was in the kitchen. The chair had been moved to where the stand used to be, and the stand had been moved to the far side of the room. Jazz's room, it turned out, had also been remodeled. Her desk was on the other side of the room, despite Jazz's demands not to move it, and her bookshelf was where her desk used to be. Her bed was now in front of her window. The worst part was that tomorrow it would be totally different. God only knows where her bed and desk and bookshelf would be.

Jack, in a rare moment of seriousness, had once more warned his son about the twins' birth now that Sam was eight months along. Although Jack and Maddie had grown used to having kids around, Jazz and Danny had yet to fully grasp it. Jazz didn't really know how to be an aunt and Danny didn't know how to be a dad. He was sure Sam didn't really know how to be a mother. She was trying, yes, but no first-time parents ever knew what they were doing. Maddie had even told them that babies were alot of work and responsibility, and that nothing she said would help prepare them for what was to come.

That was the moment poor Danny had freaked out. Sam managed to calm him by getting him to go to bed and rest up for the night.

The sound of the bed softly creaking caused Sam to turn around to see Danny just getting up.

"Hey, Sam," he yawned.

"Hey, morning breath," she teased.

He waited for his yawn to complete itself before answering, "Not my fault. Last night you were craving Mexican food, remember? You didn't really give us a choice."

She mumbled something that the halfbreed couldn't understand.

"You know..." Danny pointed at the goth's enlarged stomach. "...we still have to name them. I'm still with with Danny Junior for the boy."

"Well, the girl's name will be Lilith. I told you that yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and...well, the list goes on. Point is, you keep forgetting her name."

"The girl can be Lilith, but can't we _please_ negotiate the boy's? I really want him to be Danny Junior! C'mon! I can call him Junior when he comes home from school; it'll be so awesome!"

"Excited much?"

Danny grinned. "Please?"

"It's not that I don't like the idea, but-"

"So it's a yes then?" he gushed.

"Well-"

"SWEET! Danny Junior it is!"

The goth sighed and nodded, feeling that she owed him something for all he'd done for her. Naming one of the twins after him was the least she could do. She smiled back at him and sighed again, this time sarcastically.

"Fine, you big goofball. He's Danny Junior from now on," she said.

Danny hopped fully out of bed and pressed a hand gently against Sam's belly. One of the twins kicked after a few seconds.

"I bet that's him. He likes his name," the halfa joked, grinning to prove its humorous value.

The goth rolled her eyes. When would he ever learn?

"Hey, listen. I found this song on an old CD I have."

"You can actually find something in your room?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, yeah, with you moving everything around so much." She opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped by the halfbreed. "Anyway, I think you might like it. Wanna listen to it?"

"Sure."

That's what Danny was hoping she would say. This song would become a very special favorite to her, he knew. Well, after she heard it, that is. It was a song that, as he'd claimed, he'd found on an old CD. It was called "Whatever It Takes" by Lifehouse. He thought of Sam when he heard it, so he thought he'd play it for her. Unfortunately she was asleep when he was listening to it, so he had to wait until this morning, when she was back in the land of the conscious. He put the CD in the CD player and put the headphones in her ears. Then he turned it on and let her listen.

_Well a strangled smile fell from your face..._

_Oh it kills me that I hurt you this way..._

_The worst part is that I didn't even know..._

_Now there's a million reasons for you to go..._

_But if you can find a reason to stay..._

_I'll do what-ever it takes!_

_To turn this a-round!_

_I know what's at stake,_

_I know that I've let you down..._

_And if you give me a chance,_

_believe it I can change!_

_I'll keep us to-ge-ther..._

_What-ever it takes..._

_She said, if we're go-nna make this work..._

_You gotta let me inside even though it hurts..._

_Don't hide the bro-ken parts that I need to see..._

_She said, like it or not, it's the way it's gotta be..._

_You gotta love yourself if you can ever love me..._

_I'll do what-ever it takes,_

_to turn this around..._

_I know what's at stake,_

_I know that I've let you down..._

_And if you give me a chance,_

_and give me a break,_

_I'll keep us to-ge-ther..._

_I know you_

_deserve_

_much better..._

_Remember the time I told you,_

_the way that I felt,_

_that I'd be lost with-out you_

_and ne-ver find my-self..._

_Let's hold on to each o-ther,_

_above everything else..._

_Start over..._

_Start o-ver..._

_I'll do what-ever it takes,_

_to turn this around,_

_I know what's at stake,_

_I know that I've let you down..._

_And if you give me a chance,_

_believe it I can change!_

_I'll keep us to-ge-ther..._

_What-ever it takes..._

Sam slowly took the headphones off as the song ended with a soft chorus and a few guitar notes. It almost wholly described the situation, and probably Danny's feelings toward it. A few lyrics especially caught her attention. "Well a strangled smile fell from your face" had been an eye-opener for her. She thought she'd been being sneaky with her fake smiles, but she'd never known Danny could see right through them. "I know that I've let you down" had been all Danny. He had been so angry at himself because he couldn't protect her. He'd already told her he was sorry for that only about a million times. "I'll do whatever it takes" was also Danny. He was probably letting the song talk for him. He wanted to help her in every way possible, even going to great lengths to be the father model for her children. "You gotta let me inside even though it hurts" and "Don't hide the broken parts that I need to see" were also the song talking for Danny. He wanted her to heal because he knew she still hadn't. He was asking her to open up to him, to just let it all out and stop holding it in all the time. Hence the, "broken parts that I need to see" part of the song.

Eventually it dawned on her that it wasn't just a fitting song that asked Danny's questions and told Danny's thoughts, it was a love song. He'd probably heard it and knew she would be curious in wanting to listen. He had probably wanted to tell her that he loved her, but knowing him he also probably didn't have the guts to say it. Well, that might not be completely true... He'd tried to kiss her in that moon flower field, one of the events that happened before he went insane. She was pretty sure that counted as a confession. And before that he'd taken her out on a date. He even flew her over the city. Plus, how many times had it been that he'd apologized for trying to kiss her? She wasn't ready for it at the time, but he'd proven himself time and time again to be deemed worthy of her love.

Maybe that song was his way of asking her to love him back, as well as asking her to stop hiding her feelings from him...because he could see them anyway.

She realized she was crying for the first time in months and wiped away the traitorous tear. She smiled very faintly and tried to figure out what to do now. Danny was waiting for her response, and frankly the poor guy looked nervous. He probably knew she would figure out the song's meaning and interpret what he was trying to tell her. He was just standing there, eyes darting around in all different directions, wondering whether or not to look at Sam expectantly or look away to make her feel comfortable. His cerulean eyes bounced from Sam to the wall, from the wall to Sam, and back again. He looked pretty stiff, as if he'd tensed up sometime while she was paying attention to the song.

The goth was getting choked up and was distrustful of her voice to say anything. After a moment like that, she knew it was all up to her. She could either show that big ole' sweetheart that she loved him too, or she could keep up her transparent charade.

The choice there was pretty obvious.

She walked up to Danny, so close that her belly was bumping into him. The babies seemed to be quite excited and were acting rambunctious inside her.

Danny looked up at the ceiling innocently, as if praying for something.

Sam took hold of his shirt collar and yanked his head down. Before the halfa even knew what was going on, she closed the distance and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. In her mind, as well as in reality, he deserved that kiss. He'd done everything he could for her; he'd stood by her like he promised, he'd accepted the role of a father when the kids weren't even his, he'd tried to make her happy in any way possible, and he'd even tried to cheer her up when she was down. The song had worked miracles for him; he'd never expected anything from her, but he'd done everything for her. He _deserved_ that kiss. And he would deserve the many more that would come after.

It seemed like forever, but Danny finally grasped what was happening. Sam felt him smile through their kiss. It was like he was trying to hold back from laughing. She wouldn't blame him if he laughed; she was on the verge of laughing too. It wasn't because something was funny, it was just because Sam was so happy she was crying and Danny had to be brimming with joy.

They parted after a few more seconds, despite Danny's obvious reluctance. Poor guy, he'd finally received the one thing he'd wanted all this time, and then it had vanished.

"I wish it hadn't ended so soon..." he whined, pouting playfully.

Sam smiled cheerily and chuckled a little. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. There's plenty more where that came from."

He looked up and grinned. "So...any chance I could snatch another one right now?"

She stood on her toes and gave him a little peck on his cheek. She knew it wasn't what he was hoping for, but it was fun teasing him. Besides, he would have plenty more. After all, she knew that after all this time, after all he'd done for her, he was the one for her, the only one. No other man could compare, no other man was better suited. No other man was him. And who knows? If they one day ended up getting married, he would get more than just a kiss. He might even get a kid or two. And she would be okay with that. Because he was Danny. And Danny would never let her down. And Danny would never disappoint her. And Danny would always be there for her.

Sam hissed sharply as a false contraction hit her. These no longer made Danny freak out. It still startled him because they came so unexpectedly and completely without warning, but he was able to stay calm.

"You want to sit down?" he asked.

Sam nodded and let Danny lead her to the bed, where she sat down and waited. It was a long contraction, but it passed eventually. It was more painful than some of the others, the smaller ones, and the big ones were the ones she hated the most since they usually lasted longer and, obviously, were more hurtful and uncomfortable. Most of the bigger ones were so bad that she could hardly stand while they were occurring. Hence the reason why Danny had asked her if she wanted to sit.

"Okay, I'm good," she announced.

Danny offered his hand to help her up, as he always did now that she had gained so much weight, and Sam took it lightly, only using a small portion of his strength to help lift her.

She sighed in relief now that the pain was gone and stretched. She heard her back pop and stopped stretching, feeling refreshed.

* * *

Sam still chose to walk to school rather than ride in the car. Danny had repeatedly told her he absolutely positively wouldn't allow it, but being pregnant had its advantages. Being a girl had an even bigger advantage. So being a pregnant girl...well...Danny just didn't have a choice in the matter, and was forced about two months ago to shut up about it. He'd obeyed, apparently, because Sam favored her legs over Jack's horrific driving "skills". Besides, the doctor had told the goth that exercise was healthy, especially when pregnant. Danny didn't care; he was still reluctant to let her walk.

About a few minutes from the house, another Braxton Hick came; it still didn't worry Danny. They had a tendency to come at the weirdest times, sometimes one after another. Poor Sam hated it though. She couldn't care less that it was normal; she was downright sick of it! Her whole womb shook with the muscles' clenching around it. It hurt pretty bad. Bad enough to make Sam angry when someone asked what was wrong. Her schoolmates found this out in class, when one had decided to walk along right then and there. Everybody, especially the males in the room, was bouncing off the walls. Some of the guys, including Mr. Lancer and Dash, had fled the room to who-knows-where. It was fairly humorous, and would've been hilarious had Sam not been in so much pain.

This one passed by quickly and wasn't as painful as the one before.

But right after it passed...Sam felt something warm and wet run down her legs.

**A/N**

**Well, what do you think? And a much faster update! Satisfaction...it rocks. Hm? Hm? Anybody? XP Just joking. Well, I'm pretty sure everyone knows what's happening and I TOLD YOU YOU'D LIKE IT! But if you don't know, then dude, you are SO missing something. XD**

**Anyway, there will be a review quota this time only because I worked my butt off to update this fast. This time I'm asking for four hundred and ninety-five (495) reviews. But if possible, I REALLY want to try to get it to five hundred (500) reviews! It'll be awesome, seeing how much I can get out of this story. :v**

**Also, here are your review replies:**

**Danny Phantom Fan1- XD I know, right? I couldn't help it, I just HAD to give Same a break. It was even annoying me! lolz! O_o Brutal punishment...? Wow...that's...um...harsh.**

**Inuyuke- lolz! I didn't even know you were following this story. Yeah, but I know for a fact most girls would never blather about it. It's still his nickname for her, delusional or not. Shows he remembers calling her Dove. :3 He'll call her that eventually. XD I know! I'll sometimes read this story and wonder what will happen next, then squeal when I see fluff. Thank you!**

**Codiak- Little people? ...? ...? I don't get you... XD I'm NOT naming it after you! lolz!**

**Shadowkatze- Yes, beware the Evil Eye. Beware the Lightning Glare.**

**Phanfan925- lolz! Glad you do!**

**SonOfLucifer- :P I'm a girl. lolz! Couldn't help but make him butt in. XD Hope you rejoiced over this chappie! And yes, I did like your review. It was very nice; thank you for your opinions. XP**

**T.T.G.O- TRUST ME, I know who you are. -_-" I'm regretting telling you about the bagel incident... But for argument's sake I CAN'T HELP IT... :/ Stupid cream cheese... OMG, Katrina actually HAS a story? And here I thought she spent her life in bed. XD Because she thinks Damien is a name associated with the devil. So no, nothing personal at all actually.**

**Sunshine-Midnight123- English please? I studied French, but I forgot everything I studied as soon as the test was over.**

**DPraven- Used to be often enough, like once a week or sooner, but lately things have been hectic, so enjoy the fast update. :P**

**msdebora- lolz Thanks!**

**CatchingWind- Not saying who it is just yet. You'll find out later. Hang in there! lolz, ridonculous...**

**Looka'sMagicHell- All guys are funny when they freak out! XD**

**Inventor of ZADRF- D: I'm so sorry! I meant to reply but I must've accidentally overlooked it... T_T Gomenasai. But To answer your question: YES. I loved the song and hated having to wait to put it in my story. I never forgot about it, don't worry. In fact, that's one reason I did the big time skip; I wanted to put the song into the story. :) And btw, you were right about that song; it fit the story perfectly.**

**DannySamLover20- M'kay. Thanks!**

**FakexReality- XD Just out of curiosity, what did you think was coming next?**

**GhostGirl36- Well, yes, actually. Lilith and Danny Junior. :P It HAD to be Danny Junior; too cute not to be!**

**Gracie407- XP The nosiest. ;)**

**xXRosaliaXx- Thank you! :D I will!**

**snape-rules44- Haha! I'm glad you like it. I try. :P Wait no longer then. :)**

**KP100- OoO *gasp* Are you okay? D: Geez, that's gotta hurt!**

**_Okay, guys, most of you probably won't want to read this, and it's not a huge important announcement, and NO I'm not quitting the story, but if you don't want to read this then you probably shouldn't._ This story has (aside from the epilogue) about one or two more chapters going for it. After that, it's done. Basically, it's nearing its end, and I've decided that I just can't do a sequel. Therefore, I'm putting the epilogue as its sequel. You'll like the epilogue, I'm sure, because it will show Danny and Sam's life some years after the ending of this story. So you better get your good-byes ready, because this story's winding down.** **PLEASE do not review about this! I told you I would finish the story, and every story has to end sometime. This story will never be taken down, so if you want to favorite it, you don't have much time left before it disappears into the depths of dropped, discontinued, forgotten, neglected, and completed stories in the DP fandom. The last chapter will be a bitter-sweet moment for everyone, including me, but you must understand that this is a story and must come to an end. Don't worry, though, it'll be a good ending worthy of this story and the great readers it has attracted.**


	30. Chapter 30

~Chapter 30~

"Uh, Danny," Sam said as she looked down.

The halfa, who unfortunately wasn't looking at her at the time, replied, "Yeah?"

"Danny!" she gasped, trying to grasp the situation so they both could stay calm. As soon as he looked, though, his face went pale and he looked like he was about to pass out. "My water just broke!" Yeah, he knew that.

"W-Well, uh, um, w-what do I do?"

She gave him what had to be at least a ten-second glare. "Well, for _starters_, how about flying me to the hospital?"

He nodded. "Right, right!"

The halfa scooped her in his arms and "went ghost". He was scared, even though he was flying towards a place that would help Sam get through this. He was scared because something might go wrong. She'd gotten drunk once, and she had been worried that it may have put the babies' lives in jeopardy. The doctor had told her they were healthy, but he still couldn't help but worry; after all, he thought of the twins as his own.

When they arrived ten minutes later at Amity Park Medical Center, Danny quickly put Sam down to transform back into a human, and escorted her into the hospital.

The place was starch white, with the same lights they had in school. The tiles shone a dull white color from those lights. Danny told the nurse situated at the front desk that the goth was in labor with twins. The nurse called for another nurse; this nurse brought a wheelchair for Sam to sit in. Now, normally Sam was against any unnecessary assistance, but this was different. She was in labor! She needed all the assistance she could get!

Danny trotted hastily and nervously behind them, but wasn't permitted to enter the birthing room yet. The nurse who had brought Sam in helped her into a hospital bed and told Danny that he had to get out while they "addressed" her. He wanted to go in, but he also knew the nurse had a reason for not letting him in.

Two more nurses came in, and poor Danny was on the verge of busting down the door to see what they were doing to her. He refrained only because he knew Sam would kill him if he did that. And she'd probably have to be moved to another room if he broke the door; then they'd have to restart the whole process. He calmed himself a little by telling himself that they were probably helping her into a hospital gown and telling her to use the bathroom if she needed to. They were probably asking her if she wanted some water or ice chips, maybe starting up small talk and trying to get her as comfortable as a woman in labor could get. Perhaps they were asking her questions about the twins, when she went into labor, what she planned to name the babies, other stuff like that. He hadn't filled out any paperwork yet, so they were probably asking her what her name was, who the father was, if she'd been taking her vitamins, if she was on any medications, and if she had been seeing a doctor regularly and who that doctor was and where that doctor worked. He didn't want to think that they were hooking her up to those heart monitors and I.V.s and that crap she probably didn't want to be hooked up to.

While he was waiting, he reminded himself that there were certain people who needed to know where they were and why they were there. He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and started dialing up numbers. His dad's phone was dead, as usual, but his mom's was always on and always near her just in case something happened.

* * *

"Manson and Fenton are late..." Lancer growled, looking around the room to pick out anyone else who might be late or tardy. At times like these he was always out to get people. Or at least it seemed that way.

Tucker glanced over at Sam's empty seat, then at Danny's. It was weird that they were late; ever since Sam moved in with Danny, she'd made sure he got to school on time. Maybe someone in the family got the flu or something and spread it on to them. It was possible even though it usually didn't happen to two people at the same time. Poor guys... It was either both of them or just Sam. Sam would go to school even if Danny was sick, but because Sam was pregnant, Danny would refuse to leave the house until she got better.

Snapping him out of his thoughts was his phone ringing loudly. It immediately caught Lancer's attention.

"FOLEY! Turn that blasted PDA off!" he yelled, pointing a stern finger at the techno-geek.

"It's not my PDA, it's my phone," he argued as he flipped it open to check the number. "It's Danny; can I answer it to see what he wants?"

The teacher rolled his eyes and held an irritated look, but finally said he could answer the call.

Tucker smiled gratefully and pressed the "Answer" button. He held the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tuck, it's Danny," a voice on the other end said.

"Hey. Why aren't you guys in school? Did someone get sick?" he asked.

"No. Sam went into labor this morning. We're at the hospital," Danny informed his friend. "I already called my parents and told them."

"Can I talk to her?"

"No. The nurses are in the room right now and not even I can get in."

"Okay, I'll be there in a little while, let me just-"

"Don't bother, tuck. It's twins; it might take longer than usual."

"Are you sure?"

The other end was silent for a second, as if thinking about it, but then the halfa answered, "I'm not positive, but I've heard that twins take a little longer. Come by after school today."

"Danny, we've been friends since the second grade. Let me come now!" Tucker demanded.

He heard a sigh over the line and Danny replied, "Fine, Tuck. If you can convince Lancer to let you come, then you can come. But if you're here for twelve hours, don't say I didn't warn you."

Tucker hung up without a thank-you. He didn't want to waste any of Danny's time; that poor guy would be pretty busy fretting over everything that could go wrong and tending to Sam. Plus, when it was time for the babies to _really_ make their appearance, if Sam decided to let him in the room, then he'd probably be busy passing out. Ah, no; Danny wouldn't pass out, he'd just be extremely nervous. Danny passing out was just wishful thinking.

* * *

Danny shut his phone as the nurses filed out, one after another. Danny asked if he could go in now, and was rewarded with a nod of the head. He wasted no time in jumping up and running the greet Sam.

"Hey, Sam. How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine; not tired yet." She cracked a determined smile.

He smiled back and kissed her forehead. She didn't turn her head away, she closed her eyes tilted it up.

"You better not be wanting another kiss while I'm in labor," she teased.

He chuckled. "Only if you're willing to give away a free sample."

He pulled up a chair and sat down in it, knowing this would be a long ride. Poor Sam would be going through crap, and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't suffer with her, he couldn't relate to what she was going through. It pained him to see her in a hospital, even though he knew that eventually it would come down to this. It was weird because as much as he hated not being able to help her, he was excited and happy that the babies were finally going to make their grand de view.

Danny figured his parents weren't here yet because his dad made a wrong turn and was too stubborn to ask for directions. His mom was probably trying to take control of the vehicle right at this very moment. And, if memory served right, she was probably on the verge of pummeling his dad if he didn't relinquish the wheel. So, it was safe to assume that they wouldn't be here for some time. Maybe in a little while, if his mom decided to take action sooner than usual.

Danny examined Sam. She had an I.V. in her arm, taped down so it wouldn't come loose. Electrodes were taped onto her chest, slightly to the left where the heart was, and below her chest, where her lungs resided. Two monitors show her respiratory rate and her heartbeat. As he'd guessed earlier, they had put her in a hospital gown. Apparently it widened at the bottom _alot_ because there was a white blanket covering Sam's lower half. As another contraction bothered her, it became clear that they hadn't given her an epidural yet. She kept shifting uncomfortably even though she knew it would be impossible to get comfortable. Still, she tried. Strangely enough, it didn't frustrate her that no matter what position she turned in, it was never pleasant.

He took a deep breath. Today was the day everyone had been long awaiting. Today he would become a dad, and today Sam would become a mom. Tucker an uncle, Jazz an aunt, his mom a grandmother, and his dad a grandfather. And Sam's parents, whether they wanted to be or not, would become grandparents. And who knows, maybe in several years from now, even Mr. Lancer would play a role in the kids' lives, becoming a grand-teacher or whatever. It was exciting to think about, definitely an interesting subject to bring up. However, Danny held his thoughts. Sam was in labor and he knew she probably didn't want to chat much right now.

Every now and then, while they were still waiting for someone's arrival, Maddie or Jack or even Tucker if he managed to get Lancer to let him go, whoever got here first, Danny would bring up something about the twins, like what kind of personalities they would have and what their first word beyond "Mama" and "Dada" would be. Sam, most likely only because it concerned the very things she was about to give birth to, listened and smiled when a smile was appropriate. She herself didn't talk much, and listening to him was likely the best way to pass time.

Finally, Maddie came barging into the room, causing the halfa to jump from the sudden and unexpected entrance. A nurse quickly came into the room from behind her and apologized breathlessly to the pair, telling them that she tried to stop Maddie but couldn't. Jack appeared at the door, eating a burrito.

"It's okay; they're my parents," Danny told the nurse.

She looked at Sam, as if wanting confirmation. The goth nodded, and the nurse left the room, closing the door slowly behind her.

"Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad," the halfa greeted his parents.

"Hi, sweetie! We tried to come as soon as we heard," his mother told him.

"Then what took you guys so long?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at his dad.

"There was lots of traffic! It's a weekday!" Jack answered.

His wife slapped her forehead. "Yes, there was definitely traffic, Jack... Traffic...at the drive-through. Sam goes into labor, and you choose to go get an everything burrito!"

Jack opened his mouth to defend himself, but Maddie didn't give him that chance. She stuffed the burrito into his already-gaping mouth. Then she wisely ended the argument by rushing to Sam's side, careful not to push her son out of the way as she put herself in between Sam and the wall.

"How are you feeling, honey?" she asked sweetly and sympathetically, her voice practically a river of nectar.

Sam didn't mind Maddie asking the question, nor the tone she asked it in. Maddie had been through this twice; she had the experience Sam didn't. Well, she didn't have it yet. But soon enough, she would.

She decided to answer the question, despite not really wanting to talk. "I'm fine."

"We're looking forward to our grandchildren," she stated as her husband tried desperately to not to choke on his burrito.

The goth chuckled, but didn't respond beyond that. Maddie knew what labor was like. She already knew Sam wasn't up to chattering or spontaneously chiming in during a conversation. She decided instead to talk to Danny, who wasn't so uncomfortable that he wouldn't speak.

"So, sweetie, are you nervous?" Maddie put an arm around her son and smiled gently. She took off her red goggles and teal hood, revealing her brownish-red hair and motherly eyes, soon to be grandmotherly eyes.

Sam rolled her eyes when Danny told his mother that he wasn't the slightest bit nervous and couldn't wait for the twins to come. True, he was excited, but more than that, he would freak out when the time came; there was no doubt in her mind about that.

"I'm guessing you two figured out names," Jack chimed, half-finished with his everything burrito.

"Yeah," Danny spoke for Sam's sake, "Lilith and Danny Junior."

Maddie squealed, a little too loudly. "Oh! Danny Junior! Isn't that precious!" She quickly turned to Jack and repeated the last part. "Jack, isn't that precious!"

"Oh, Danny... Junior? Why? I always thought you would name your children after me one day," he said.

"Jack, be quiet. Sam's in labor," Maddie cooed.

A nurse dressed in a cyan-colored outfit knocked on the door, out of respect for the patient, and came in without being granted permission to enter. She was a very petite lady, probably around her mid-twenties. She had long brown hair pulled tight into a ponytail, giving it a swishing effect when she walked. This time, the nurse had a name tag so they could identify her. According to the tag she wore on her shirt, her name was Ms. Lynn.

"Hello," she said, her voice soothing. "I'm Ms. Lynn. I'll be the nurse in charge; I'm also going to be the one reporting to the doctor, in case any problems show up. Uh, not that they're going to! I'm just here to make sure everything goes smoothly."

Ms. Lynn turned to Danny and his family. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave for a bit."

Danny stood to protest, but a small hand placed itself over his shoulder. He knew it was his mom. Of all people, she probably knew what was going on and why they had to leave. But why couldn't he stay? As far as everyone but himself, Sam, and Tucker knew, he was the father of the twins. He looked at the floor, hating being forced to leave Sam all alone in there, with no one to comfort her but the nurse. He knew it was for the best, but still...

Maddie led her son out of the room, and Jack followed soon after. The nurse closed the door, telling them she would only be a minute.

"Yeah, don't listen to her, Danny. She'll be about twenty minutes," his father grunted.

Maddie pushed the boys into a waiting area and began explaining to her son what they were doing and why they had to leave the room. Apparently, they were, right now, lifting the covers off Sam to check her dilation. When Danny asked what that meant, his mother's reply was anything but comfortable. She said it meant that Sam's birth canal had to open enough to let the babies through, and that once it reached a certain measurement, of which the nurse would take and record, it meant the babies were on their way. She also said that once it was time for the babies to come, only he would be allowed to stay in the room. Well, him and the nurses and doctors that would be swarming over Sam.

The halfa thought he saw a familiar figure looking at the directory, which was oddly right in front of the waiting rooms. It took him awhile to figure out that it was Tucker. Somehow, that geek had convinced Lancer, _Lancer_, to let him out of school for at least this one day. Danny smiled at the thought of how happy Sam would be to see him, the "uncle" of her children. Tucker wasn't her or Danny's brother, but he might as well be. They'd been the best of friends since the second grade, and they'd all been inseparable since. It was true that when Sam had started cutting herself, her friendship, with Tucker especially, wavered, but after her rehab they quickly reestablished it. Now their friendship was mended and they were just as close as they'd been before. They laughed together, ate together, even teased each other relentlessly.

"Tuck! Over here!" Danny called out to his friend. Come to think of it, he didn't really know where his sister was at such a critical moment in her little brother's life, but then again, Jazz could wait. It was kind of nice to have a Jazz-free moment where she wasn't here to lecture him on some kind of psychological nonsense that no one in the family understood but her.

The techno-geek turned around to be greeted by his friend and his friend's family, eagerly but patiently awaiting the babies' birth. "Hey, Danny! Is it time for the twins already? Because if my memory serves me right, you told me it would take longer than normal."

Tucker sat down in the chair next to the halfa and raised an eyebrow, waiting for his response.

"It's not time. They're just doing a check-up on Sam real quick."

"And you had to leave the room for that?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah. It's the kind of...you know..._female_ check-up. Only the nurse is in there with her right now."

Tucker mouthed the word "Oh" and started fidgeting with his fingers. Eventually he moved on to his PDA. For some reason, he also kept receiving text messages from someone.

Danny couldn't help but ask about the texts.

"It's Lancer. He doesn't show it, but I think he's worried for Sam, and probably excited about the babies. He told me that I could leave, but only if I kept him updated on how things were going," he explained.

* * *

Jack was right... This whole waiting thing was insane! How long had it been now? And for what? Just so the nurse could measure her? What in the world was taking so long? And poor Tucker! He finally got to get out of school only to be stuck in a waiting room in the maternity ward. He wanted to see Sam just as badly as everyone else, maybe even more so because he hadn't seen her yet.

Finally, after what had to be at least fifteen minutes of waiting for one single nurse visit, they were told they could go back in by none other than Ms. Lynn. Danny explained on the way to the room, Room 303, that Ms. Lynn was the nurse who would be taking care of Sam during her stay at the hospital. She would be overseeing everything except the birth. He also explained that during the birth, only he, since he was the "father", could stay in the room while everyone else had to get back in the waiting room and be bored for however long it took.

When they reentered the room, Sam seemed to have been untouched. She was just the way they'd left her. Tucker was the first one up to her.

"Hey, Sam. How are you doing?" he asked as the others took their seats.

Sam rolled her eyes, sighed, and wondered how many times people would ask her that question. Seriously, how did they _think_ she was doing? It wasn't called labor for nothing! It hurt like crap when she had a contraction, it was starting to tire her out, and the babies wouldn't stop kicking her guts. In all honestly, as well as her own opinion, "How are you doing?" or "How are you feeling?" was just the stupidest question to ask someone who was in labor. However, Tucker was her friend, and she was happy to see him.

"I'm fine. Getting kind of tired though," she said truthfully.

**A/N**

**Okay, WORST place to stop, but I didn't want the chapter to be too long. It's pretty stale, but at least I didn't put Jazz in the room... -_-" You wanna talk about boring... *shudders* Anyways, no review quota, no review replies, because this is HALF OF A CHAPTER, even though it's posted as one chapter. The next chapter will be the other half, and will probably be a little better. You'll find out why sooner or later. I also posted this not just because I didn't want to make it too long, but because I didn't want to keep you guys waiting.**

**Instead, let your mind wander around for a little bit. Knowing me and my writing style, and even the way I like to be evil and stuff, will something go wrong? No, the better question would be, will I MAKE something go wrong? Some kind of ghostly disease from when Sam and Danny got hit with the ghost net? :P Hm...so many questions... If something went wrong, what would it be? Would Sam be okay after the birth (which may not be in the next chapter)? Will a ghost attack during this joyous moment? And what about Technus? He never got to finish his fight with Danny, remember? And what will become of the rapist? Will he show up again? Will he finally be caught this time? **

**Ah...that should get your brain gears cranking. XD Oh, the suspense must be killing you right now! *leans back in chair* Right now only I know what's going to happen. You guys are in the dark because this time there are absolutely no hints as to what comes next. **

**...Um...one other thing... I was watching a Danny Phantom episode that I had recorded awhile back, and I started thinking to myself about how Sam had done absolutely nothing to deserve what I'd inflicted on her. So if I may ask a favor... DO _NOT_ LET SAM READ THIS. SHE WILL KILL ME, DANCE ON MY GRAVE, DIG ME UP, THEN DUMP MY CORPSE GOD-ONLY-KNOWS-WHERE. O_O Please...don't...don't let her get me...**

**I love you guys, and thank you so much for giving me BEYOND five hundred reviews! That literally made my day! :D I feel like I really owe you guys now. Which is why I'm not telling you anything about the next half of this chapter. Because I suck and because I care about you.**


	31. Chapter 31

~Chapter 31~

A good thirteen hours had passed. Thirteen hours. THIRTEEN. HOURS. The nurses came in and out, checking up on Sam at intervals of around twenty to thirty minutes. Danny kept worrying when he found out, on a few occasions where he'd overheard a nurse telling his mother, that Sam was dilating enough. He knew she had to "open", for lack of better terms, enough to allow both the babies' passage. If she didn't, they would have to do a C-Section. It didn't take a medical prodigy to figure out that a C-Section had potentially serious risks to both mother and child. True, the equipment was sterile, but infection could set in, since there were twins they might hit one of the babies with the scapel, or they might cut too low or too high or too deep or too off-ways and hit something they weren't supposed to. Plus, if a scar was left on the uterus, it could easily impair her ability to have more children. And not only that, but it would take longer for her to recover since her body had to handle all that time of labor _plus_ a laceration on not just the skin, but also an organ. To put it bluntly, he didn't want Sam to have a C-Section.

Sam closed her eyes, though she knew fully well that it wouldn't help. The contractions had gone beyond painful now. Now they were more like...something? She was too exhausted to think about it much. Danny and his family, and Tucker, knew it. Against her will, she was showing signs of extreme dicomfort, pain, and distress. Danny and Tucker especially knew, because Sam was their best friend and they were together all the time. They knew she would normally never show any sign of weakness, yet here she was, not bright-eyed, not bushy-tailed, and certainly not ready to either stay awake nor go to sleep. Right now she was probably somewhere in the middle, somewhere along that line.

The last nurse who had come in, thankfully she was Ms. Lynn, had come back out with the great news that Sam was finally starting to dilate to a rapid rate. Unfortunately, it would still be awhile before the babies actually came. So there would be no little screams of newborns, no little squeals of joy from the new uncle and grandparents, and no awestruck face of the new dad until whenever the babies decided they had made everyone, namely their mother, suffer long enough.

The next time the nurse came in, and of course back out, she had given Sam her epidural. she also told everyone that the goth's contractions were getting closer and closer together. When the halfbreed asked her what that meant, and if everything was okay, Ms. Lynn laughed lightheartedly and replied, "It means Sam will go into active labor soon. It'll be okay. All it really means is that right now Sam is in passive labor, meaning she's preparing herself for the actual birth. Active labor is when she'll be _trying_ to push them out."

Danny had no choice but to trust the doctor's words. After all, he was probably the furthest thing from a doctor. Call him for ghost, and he was your guy. Call him for childbirth, and he wouldn't even answer the phone. Honestly, though, no one would blame him. Guys just weren't usually cut out for this sort of thing. He was one of the guys who didn't even want to witness it, but wanted to be there for the one he loved. It was clear everyone respected that, probably even admired it.

It was easy to tell now that Sam was showing obvious physical signs that she was almost ready to start what Ms. Lynn had called "active labor". About an hour ago, he had told his parents to call Jazz so she could be here. But Jazz couldn't; unlike Mr. Lancer, almost all her teachers were very strict. The two that weren't were the two that she had her first classes with. And unfortunately, her first classes were over by the time her mother had called her. Her teachers wouldn't permit her to leave, even for this event. School was normally over by now, but Jazz had insisted upon taking cram classes. Another misfortune Jazz had clawed her way into.

So, Jazz was most likely going to miss the birth, but she would be able to see the babies whenever she could come by. Apparently, as Danny had been told about six hours into his stay at the hospital, they were going to keep Sam here for two days. It would have been one day but she was taking so long to birth them that she was straining her abdominal muscles more than usual, and she was giving birth to twins. therefore they were going to keep her two days to make sure she would be alright to go home. They also wanted to make sure the babies would be okay after such a long period of birth. They didn't seem to be too worried about it, and that knowledge helped ease Danny's nerves. Of course, they weren't telling this information to Sam, and for a good reason. While in labor, it could be dangerous, fatal to the babies even, to put her under stress.

Everyone had obeyed this rule of "no telling the goth". Even Jack, which was rare, had protected Sam against such information.

After another hour had passed, making a total of fourteen hours, the goth's contractions had reached a near-birth point. They were only six and a half minutes apart, and she was almost fully dilated. Nurses were now in and out as if they were in a house and were simply obsessed with brushing their teeth, walking in and out of a bathroom every few minutes. this time was different, however, in the noticeable fact that only Danny was being allowed to stay in the room; the rest of his family, plus Tucker, was shoved out.

For the next ten to fifteen minutes, Sam breathed heavily, seeming to just expect another contraction and be done with it. But suddenly some of the nurses left, leaving a doctor who'd either just come in or had been there but had gone unnoticed up until now to spread Sam's legs apart. It was a bit embarrassing to watch the woman do that, but it seemed to very faintly relieve the goth.

Danny was expecting the babies to just pop out right then and there, right at that moment, but nothing happened for the next five minutes.

Then, another sudden action, the currently nameless doctor said, "Push!" right after a contraction hit Sam.

Her huge stomach quivered with the pressure, and she tried to push so hard she was lifting herself up. Her knuckles held tightly onto the grey plastic railing of the hospital bed; they began to turn white.

The next time she was told to push, the same thing happened, except now she was grunting with an unnerving strained voice. It was high-pitched and when poor Danny heard it, he couldn't help but get out of his chair and pacing anxiously around the room, sometimes getting a first-hand view and sometimes getting none of any view. He really didn't care about a view or not, not right now at least. Right now he wondered what he could do, if there was anything he _could_ do. He didn't want to get in their way, and he didn't want to distract Sam from what looked like a ton of concentration, but he wanted so badly to help her. But what could he do?

"Oww..." he heard Sam groan as she dropped limply back onto the bed. Her chest heaved, like she'd been running twenty miles. Her eyes were closed and even had bags under them, a surefire signal that she was utterly exhausted. There were tiny beads of sweat on her face and arms, on every exposed part of her as far as he could tell. He'd be way sweatier than that if it was him. After all, she'd been at it so long it wasn't even _near_ funny.

One of the nearest nurses put a damp cloth that seemed to spring out of nowhere on her forehead while she rested. The rest was extremely short-lived, and as time accumulated she started pushing more and more frequently. It was strange to Danny that she seemed to have it all down, as if she just automatically knew when and when not to push. He highly doubted she even heard the doctor or nurses right now.

"It's okay, hun. Yer doin' just fine," the doctor cooed with her southern accent. It was the first thing she had said other than "Push!" so her accent wasn't really that noticeable before now.

Danny was so glad the doctor was nice. After all the "Push!"es, he thought she might be ignorant or mean. Even he knew you weren't supposed to be ignorant or mean with a woman in labor. And especially active labor, now that he knew what that was. By the looks of things, sam was definitely in active labor. And by the looks fo things, she was definitely having a hard time, to say the very least. He worried if she could do it. She was so young... Plus, it was twins. Most adults didn't even have twins. It was cruel stroke of fate to have bestowed on her two babies at one time; it made the entire birthing process that much harder, something she didn't need right now. To top that, she had gone through a pretty rough pregnancy. Twins were usually smaller than a regular one-baby ordeal, but their weights combined made it difficult on the woman carrying them. Sam didn't need that; sure as heck didn't do anything to deserve it. But at least he was here for her; at least she had some form of comfort. That was enough for him.

After several more pushes, it looked like the doctor and the nurses were getting a little worried. Well, either worried or concerned. One or both of the two. They kept giving each other weird looks, looks Danny couldn't understand. One nurse would glance quickly to another, and that nurse would return the action. Both of them were keeping a careful eye on the monitors. It made Danny all the more nervous. For all he knew, they were probably thinking twins would be too much for her to handle on her own, and that they might have to help her via C-Section, the last thing he and Sam wanted. Maybe they just weren't saying anything because they didn't want to disturb the goth.

After ten more minutes, though, the still nameless doctor announced, "Oh, there's its head! Just a little more, sweetheart."

There was no little scream from the baby, but that was fine because the head wasn't fully out yet. Sam had just a little more ways to go before the first of the twins would come out. The halfa was eager to know which of them would be the oldest. They couldn't tell from an ultrasound because it was a little too late for that.

Sam whined for a moment before the head was fully out, and the little baby screeched its aggrivation of having to be forced out and into the cold. the doctor still couldn't do anything until the baby was out. All she could do was encourage her and try to boost her spirits a little by telling her that it was okay, that she could do it, and that the baby was going to be healthy.

Even though it was painful having only part of a baby out, she pushed with every ounce of strength she could muster. This wasn't as easy as it looked, and it didn't look easy to begin with. She hoped this would be over soon...

Suddenly the doctors swarmed over Sam. Danny figured the baby had been born at long last. Just a few minutes later the other one came out. He had yet to know which one had come first. Unlike in the movies, the doctor didn't shout, "It's a girl!" or "It's a boy!" He wished she had... As excited as he was, he felt sick at his stomach. Though he was near Sam's uppermost part, nearest to her head so as to respect her privacy, when the babies were brought up just enough so he could see them, he found they were coated in blood. He wasn't usually squeamish around blood, but this was more blood than he was used to...and he wasn't even used to the stuff!

They didn't wrap them up in a towel yet. Instead one of the nurses, Ms. Lynn to be precise, came up to him without either of the twins in her arms and asked him if he wanted to cut the umbilical cord. He gave Sam a quick questioning glance, and she nodded her head.

Her voice was raspy from all the hard work she had just done, but she said, "Go ahead, Danny." It was a sweet voice, not the sarcastic tones she usually loved to use on him and Tucker. There was absolutely nothing joking or playful in what she told him.

Danny let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding and walked carefully and probably somewhat timidly over to Sam's lower half, where the covers couldn't be pulled back over because of the two umbilical cords connected to each of the twins. To him, a fifteen-year-old boy with little to no knowledge of these kinds of things, it was pretty gross.

Ms. Lynn handed him a pair of sterilized scissors and showed him where to cut the cord, the same cord that had given the twins life for the past eight months. They were tiny things; he'd never seen a newly born baby before. The youngest he'd ever seen was about a month old, maybe a little older or a little younger than that. But these little guys were something else entirely. He held the scissors cautiously to the closest he was told to go to the first baby's belly. The firstborn was the girl. He was halfway hoping Danny Junior would come first, but he really hadn't cared too much about it; he had just wanted them to be safe and healthy and in a clean environment when they were born.

His hand got a little shaky and he pulled the scissors back.

"Will it hurt her?" he asked, referring to Lilith.

"No, she won't be able to feel a thing," the doctor replied.

"Will it hurt Sam?" he asked.

"No, she won't feel it either. She won't even know when you've cut it," the doctor assured him.

Well, at least it was comforting to know that neither Sam or the twins would feel this, but it didn't change the fact that he felt like an inexperienced surgeon about to undergo his first operation. It was almost too unnerving to go through with, but Sam said he could, and he promised her he'd help her raise them. What kind of father would he be if he could even handle this? What would that tell Sam? Yes, he would show her that he was fit to be a father, or at least a father figure, for the twins.

He reached out with the scissors and almost back away again, but told himself that it would only take a second, and that nothing bad was going to come to anybody. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't see it and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Are you okay? Do you want us to do it for you?" the doctor asked.

"Uh, no, no. I'm fine; I can do it," he answered.

He hesitated at first, but quickly cut the cord. The babies were still crying, but neither of the two started crying louder than the other. In fact, they were starting to calm down.

He heard something hit the floor, but it definitely wasn't one of the babies. He opened his eyes to see what it was that had hit the floor. He immediately wished he hadn't. Blood was on the scissors, on the floor, and still trickling from the severed umbilical cord.

His whole body paled and he nearly fell to his knees. He felt his throat constrict, like a python was wrapping itself around him. He felt lightheaded but somehow managed to stay upright.

The nurse holding Lilith was already taking her away; this instantly grabbed Sam's attention and she watched nervously as her firstborn left her and was moved onto a small, cushioned table with raised plastic edges, also cushioned. She was getting her first semi-bath and check-up.

Danny focused on cutting the second cord, the one that was attached to Danny Junior. As soon as he cut it, blood gushed out, just like the first one. If the phrase "pale as a ghost" could really be true, then he was pale as a ghost.

He handed the scissors to the nurse and tried to make his way over to the chair next to Sam's bed, the one he'd been sitting in before he started his nervous pacing. Suddenly he started reaching for something, for anything, and dropped like a sack of potatoes.

One of the nurses that wasn't holding a baby rushed over to assist him, but found him unconscious when she got there. The next thing Sam heard was laughter, and looked to find Danny passed out on the floor. She rolled her eyes but erupted in laughter anyway. Guys were only supposed to do that in movies, but no, not her guy.

The nurse left Danny on the floor so that when he woke up, he would know that he had fainted.

Lilith was soon returned to her mother, all wrapped up in a little baby blanket. After a few minutes, Danny Junior was also handed back to Sam. She cooed to her little newborns and held them close to her. She was extremely gentle with them, though. She didn't hold them very tightly; she was afraid that if she held them too tightly it might hurt them. They didn't have their eyes open, so their eye color was unknown. And they didn't have much hair. In fact, Lilith had a few little sprigs growing, but Junior had nothing at all. He was a little baldie. Poor lil' guy... Hair color was also unknown, since one of them had no hair and the other had so few hairs that the color was unseeable.

All that was left to do was wait for Danny to wake up and meet them.

**A/N**

**Okay, here's the other half of the chapter. :) Hope you liked it! Also, forgive any misspellings or grammer errors. I was writing this on my dad's laptop and his laptop doesn't have spell check, so when my finger don't hit a button hard enough or if they hit an extra button, I don't have spell check to tell me I misspelled something.**

**Also I'd have updated much sooner but I got grounded from all electronics for a week. So I couldn't get started on this chapter until TODAY. Yeah, that's right. Today. Not easy writing a 4,000 word chapter in one day.**

**Review quota will be five hundred and thirty-seven (537) reviews.**

**And here are your review replies, as promised:**

**GhostGirl36- :P I can't tell you what will happen because then the story won't be as exciting.**

**SonOfLucifer- Don't worry, I'll make Danny a great dad. :D Yes, much awkwardness in that conversation.**

**DannySamLover20- I will!**

**DPraven- Haha! Thanks!**

**CatchingWind- No, you're stuck in the darkness...FOREVER... Eh, don't kill me yet. Story won't get finished that way. Thanks for the praise! XP**

**smallvillephantom14- Actually I completely forgot about his fear of hospitals. -~-" That was probably the only reason it wasn't as dramatic.**

**aslan333- Thanks!**

**L.- Okay, this site never gets your name right, so I'm sorry if you can't see it. Aw, that's sweet! :P**

**Inventor of ZADRF- Told you I was saving it. :D The suspense is supposed to kill people. :D Gotta love cliffies! Hum...sounds like you're trying to butter me up for something. XD Mind telling me what you want? Why are you under the covers?**

**Phanfan925- :P Nobody can, nobody can.**

**Proverbial Sunset- XP Yes, be scared. QUAKE WITH FEAR!**

**Looka'sMagicHell- Thanks. I try. :P Yep, I updated again. And to answer your second review, MAH...NOT SAM... I GOT GROUNDED PLEASE DON'T CALL HER!**

**Codiak- :3 Yes, I know I'm evil. Uh, hi. ...? What the heck is with the "Well, HAI!"?**

**xXRosaliaXx- I didn't make anything go wrong...for Sam. Danny fainted. :D**

**Dannyphqntomfan2319- Trust me, he'll get what he deserves... *grins devilishly***

**TG-OS Again- XD I do care, sometimes I suck. XD Why were you on the edge of your bed? You're an insane person, you know that? Then wait no more! Oh, and also my mom was wondering if you guys could come up to our house and come trick-or-treating with us. But you'll have to spend the night and your mom has to give you like a half-day, free-day, something like that cuz unfortunately Halloween is on a Monday. -_- Modays suck but Halloween doesn't, so should I be happy or sad? ...idk. Anyway text me or call me or something. :D I might even stop being a black cat! (but I'm not gonna be the teenage angel again; that costume sucked...)**

**lynisfreee- lolz! Thanks, I've worked hard on this story.**

**crazycandymimi- :P Thanks! It's nice to know people care. don't even think about telling Sam... She'll kill me then do all the things I listed in the last chapter. and then she'll kill me again and repeat it all.**

**KP100- XD Yeah. Mr. Lancer has a heart after all!**

**Shadowkatze- XD Epical babies. :P Frikin awesome.**


	32. Chapter 32

~Chapter 32~

Danny groggily lifted his head. The headache he had was caused from hitting the ground. He picked himself up, brushed himself off, and blushed as it dawned on him that he'd passed out. He looked over to where the he'd cut the twins' cords; all the blood had been mopped up. He shuddered at the memory. He noticed that Sam's lower parts had been covered back up, and her stomach was dramatically flatter now that the babies were out. He smiled once he saw the twins. They were absolutely adorable!

"It's about time you woke up," Sam greeted him through a yawn.

Lilith yawned with her and seemed to snuggle closer to her mother, as if desiring the goth's comfort. Both the babies were sleeping, and Danny decided it was best to speak softly and try not to make too much noise.

"Oh. You saw that, huh?" he mumbled.

She snorted and said, "Everyone saw it. The nurses, the doctors, me, the twins. The mighty Danny Phantom just fell to the floor at the sight of a little blood."

He stuck his tongue out at her and told her it wasn't just "a little blood". He crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows, pretending to be angry. In truth he couldn't be angry on such a day, at such a time. The twins had just been born, it had been the day he had been waiting for for an entire eight months! If anything, he was the happiest, proudest person ever. Instantly he knew he would do whatever it took, and he would sacrifice anything, to protect Sam and the twins. They were his family, heck they might as well be his own children and wife!

"Oh, c'mon; none of your family saw," the goth informed him. Then, turning to a different subject, she added, "You want to hold them?"

He didn't need any further invitation. He carefully took up the twins in his arms and cradled them ever so gently. Lilith yawned again and this time her brother joined her.

"I'm surprised they aren't crying. I figured they'd be hungry," he said.

Sam shrugged. "Ms. Lynn told me some babies weren't hungry right away."

There was a light knock on the door, just loud enough to catch the pair's attention. A nurse peeked in the room and asked if they were ready for the family members and friends to come in yet.

Danny shot Sam a quick questioning glance, and she nodded. "Yeah, we're ready."

Another nurse seemed to appear right behind the first one and asked Sam if she wanted anything to eat. The goth shook her head in response. She was simply too exhausted to eat anything right now, but later it would probably be too hungry to be exhausted. Both nurses slipped back out the door and it only took a few more moments for everyone to come inside and admire the two babies.

Jazz had missed the birth, but she'd somehow been able to make it on the same day the twins were born. She smiled, wide-eyed, at the sleeping Lilith and Danny Junior.

"They're so cute," she whispered.

Sam smiled and thanked her.

Everyone was soon crammed around her, eager to see, touch, and hold the twins. Tucker was the last, being as he was the friend, but he didn't seem to mind that much. He was just happy to get to hold the newborns. He, too, was proud of Sam. And he admired Danny for taking on the hard role of a father figure for the twins. It was noble of him after everything Sam had been through. Tucker would've probably done the same thing, but the big difference was that Danny and Sam loved each other, and he and Sam were nothing beyond best friends. Danny was much better fit to be the father.

"Oh, thank you, Sam! Thank you, Danny!" Maddie squealed, almost waking Danny Junior. "I'm finally a grandmother!"

"I don't really like the idea of grandfather... I mean I'm not _that_ old," Jack commented. "Instead of the twins calling me 'Grandpa', how about they call me something else?"

Danny looked at Sam and she shrugged. He turned back to his dad. "What do you have in mind?"

Jack blinked and began to think about the various names he might want to be called when Lilith and Danny Junior were old enough to speak. He didn't speak for the longest of times, not even noticing all the people that were smothering Sam and Danny, and especially the twins.

They were currently undergoing a grilling session by terms of the family. "What are their last names going to be?" "What are their middle names? Have you decided yet?" "Are you excited about changing diapers?" "Oh, don't you think you guys are going to have so much fun?" "Aren't they just precious?

**A/N**

**M'kay, no review replies this time because I have a new plan: I'M GONNA CREATE THE SEQUEL AFTER ALL! And if I do review replies I'm going to completely lose my train of thought. Sequel will be called Flowers Will Die; won't tell you if there's a character death. Yes this A/N is moving fast but I don't care. No review quota because this is THE LAST CHAPTER. Next "chapter" will be an epilogue THAT WILL NOT APPEAR IN THE SEQUEL due to certain reasons.**

**I love you all so much! You've been a great reading audience! :D You rock and I hope to see you loving the sequel just as much as this story! **

**ALSO there will be no A/N in the epilogue, so don't expect any weird comments from me. XP**

**One more thing; sequel will show Sam and Danny's future with the children and I may throw in a couple of surprises. Sequel will definitely be more humorous than this story. **

**I'm all done now, gotta work on the epilogue then the sequel! Lots of work to do!**


	33. Epilogue

~Epilogue~

The disasteroid incident had passed and everyone had swarmed the children, still thinking they were Danny's. By now they might as well be. Danny had kept true to his word and hadn't let Sam raise them alone. She kept telling him he didn't have to be the father if he didn't want to and that he could stop anytime; she wouldn't be mad. He had dismissed the subject every time with a wave of his hand. Danny loved Sam and her kids and would do anything and everything to keep them healthy, well-fed, and above all, safe.

A few years after the twins' birth, the rapist was caught by none other than Danny. He hadn't tracked the man down, but while he and Sam were walking out of the grocery store, Sam recognized him immediately, even though she was never able to remember him since the last rape, when he had knocked her unconscious.

Danny had pounced him, pulling him to the ground. He beat the man, not caring that Sam was watching him. Thankfully his parents were watching the twins while they were getting groceries. He should've killed the man, right then and there, but Sam had literally saved his life. Just when Danny had figured it was time to finish him off, the goth rushed in and stopped him. She was still the same old Sam she used to be. She didn't want to kill, especially if it was being done right in front of her. Danny had let the man live and brought him to the hospital, where they found out he had two broken arms, six broken ribs, a concussion, and a broken spine. He was paralyzed for life from the waist down.

After the rapist had been treated, which Danny strongly disapproved of, he was sent straight to court, where he was tried and found guilty of multiple rapes, attempted murder, and murder in the first degree. It turned out Sam hadn't been his only victim. All the other girls he'd raped had been killed mercilessly at his hands. The charge of attempted murder wasn't on Sam's case; Danny had told them he'd been caught shooting at a girl but didn't name the girl. And even though this wasn't true, nobody questioned him since he was Danny Phantom.

Danny should've gone ahead and killed the man. After his trial, he remained in jail for two months before receiving his sentence. He was sentenced to death.

That day had been an emotional day for Sam, one of the days Danny had to be there to console her and shoo away the kids. He was good at distracting the kids from their mother's pain. Sam's rape was never revealed to anyone, and neither was the twins' true father. Only Tucker, him, and of course, Sam, knew about these things.

Jazz constantly lectured Danny and Sam about the kids, saying they had too much freedom and that if they didn't restrain them they'd never grow up to properly respect them...blah blah blah...something else no one cared about...blah blah blah...why didn't she just shut up already...blah blah blah...

Maddie and Jack were excellent grandparents. They spent a huge portion of their time with the kids. Jack taught them everything he knew about ghosts, which the kids usually never got, and Maddie helped them build Leggo castles, the one thing they both seemed to enjoy doing. Lilith always stepped into the tiny castle and pretended she was a princess waiting to be rescued by her knight, while Danny Junior played with his Leggo action figures, pretending he was a great big giant and all the knights were out to slay him. Lilith always stole a knight from him so she could be "rescued".

This always started a very loud and sometimes physical fight between the siblings. The only thing they seemed to tolerate sharing was their birthday, which they'd been doing ever since they were babies.

there were other things aside from Leggos; Lilith loved to play at the kitchen table, pretending there was a great, royal tea party going on and she was the host, again the princess. Maddie often made real tea for her and joined the tea party, which she was always invited to. Sam was also forced into every tea party. Sometimes Danny would have to join the goth and his mother, but most of his spare time was spent with Junior. Junior wanted his daddy to play cowboys with him. Danny was happy to oblige until the twins began arguing about who got daddy.

Somehow those arguments always seemed to turn on him. They both wanted to know who was his favorite, and poor "daddy" could never choose. It made them sad because they both thought neither of them was his favorite, even though he kept telling him they both were, and went crying to their mother, who cracked up when he got stuck in situations like this.

What was so funny about it, he would never know.

Sam never really seemed to get stuck in Danny's situations. Somehow she avoided it all. When Danny asked her how she did it, she smirked and said moms got away with everything.

The way things usually went on a daily basis, this was probably true. ...No, it was definitely true.

At night Sam and Danny put the kids to bed and role-played a bedtime story for them. Danny was sometimes the Funny Bunny and Sam the Silly Squirrel. They would stay up some nights, after the children were asleep, laughing and teasing each other about their roles. They slept the same way each night; Danny wrapped Sam up in his arms and Sam snuggled closer.

Every night one or both of the twins would start whispering, "Daddy," or, "Mommy", in the respective parent's ear until that parent woke up. The one who woke up got the pleasure of changing the bedsheets. If they screamed, both of them would wake and come running to see what was wrong. It was always a nightmare or a monster in the closet. And to think they even had a nightlight...

There were times they didn't even want to think about what the later years would bring...


End file.
